


Dragons Among Us

by firefly_quill



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dragon!Hanzo, Fluff and Angst, Good bro Hanzo, How Do I Tag, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm Bad At Titles, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Overwatch!McCree, You've been warned, consistent characterization whats that, dragon-y smut, smut in last chapter, so much plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-16
Updated: 2016-11-04
Packaged: 2018-08-22 15:56:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8291665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firefly_quill/pseuds/firefly_quill
Summary: Hanzo is the dragon guardian of Hanamura. Genji is a restless little shit. McCree is on a mission for Overwatch, looking for Talon. *presses button on blender*Rating will change with later chapters.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Never thought I'd be writing fanfiction again, so please forgive the rust.  
> Un-beta'd, apologies for typos and errors and for the story in general.  
> 

Spring always made Hanzo restless.

There was something about winter that he understood, the biting, brutal cold. The snow around his cave was thick and all-consuming: it swallowed all signs of life and sound, and there was something (perhaps too) familiar in that. 

However, spring brought something different, something Hanzo could not quite describe. It was full of change and potential, and while this was not necessarily bad, it was unpredictable. Hanzo found it somehow appropriate that Genji always returned to their home, a large series of caves encasing a crystal clear pool, in the spring. 

“Aniki!”

Hanzo held still and did not turn around, trying to dismiss the fact that he had barely perceived his brother’s arrival. He had been meditating in a shallower end of the water, enjoying the coolness of it against his skin. 

“Yo!” Genji tried again cheerfully, leaping deftly to the other side of the cave to attempt eye contact. Hanzo begrudgingly opened his eyes, the bright blue glow cutting through the darkness. He swam closer to Genji, acknowledging the young man with a curt nod. 

“You have returned.” 

The reaction seemed to delight Genji. He nodded once firmly, and moved to the edge of the rocks, unwrapping the ninja covering from his face. 

“It’s been too long, brother,” the younger dragon replied with warmth.

Hanzo shrugged, moving farther away again to step out of the water in search of clothing. As he moved, his blue scales smoothed out to form human skin. “Not even two years,” he answered, while out of view. He noticed that Genji hesitated slightly at his response. He had tried to sound indifferent, but Genji was very good at reading through what Hanzo left unsaid. Hanzo reemerged, wrapped in a storm grey yukata, knowing he had to ease his brother’s guilt. He looked Genji squarely in the eye and said more gently, “You look well, brother.” 

Genji brightened instantly. “I have so much to tell you about my travels!” he chirped excitedly. “Oh, and…” Genji reached into his bag and pulled out a bottle of Hanzo’s favourite sake. The older dragon smiled. “I am relieved that Sudo-san is still in business.”

“His great-grandson,” Genji corrected. 

“Still Sudo-san,” Hanzo countered. 

Genji laughed. “True. Shall we?”

\---

Genji had also caught a couple of rabbits on his way back. They set up on their usual spot for dinner, overlooking the ocean. Genji filled most of the space, gushing about his adventures at a quick clip. Hanzo listened quietly, asking questions when appropriate. He relaxed his guard, realizing once again how much he enjoyed the company of his brother. However, just as he did so, he noticed a shift in the air. Genji’s stories began to contain more pause, almost as if he were trying to gather his courage to say something. 

Hanzo braced himself. 

“Aniki,” Genji started again carefully.

“Don’t,” Hanzo cut in. 

Genji ignored him. “Hanamura has been fine for decades now. Even if there were trouble, technology exists now that could alert you immediately, half-way around the world. Our duty is to protect the town, but it was never said you had to stay here forever to do it.” 

Hanzo emptied his cup again, saying nothing. This was an old conversation, and Genji should already have known his answer. 

A long silence passed between them. Genji sighed, breaking it first, sensing defeat. 

“Perhaps I could return more ofte-“

“I neither need nor want you here,” Hanzo snapped, not turning to meet Genji’s eyes. Years ago, this would have stung, but Genji had long since realized that Hanzo’s prickliness on this subject was his brother’s way of ensuring Genji’s freedom. 

“Brother—“ 

Hanzo turned abruptly to face Genji. 

“Change the subject. Or go.”

A different, younger Genji would have leapt at the challenge, snarling insults and hurtful words, Hanzo mused. A younger Hanzo would have bit back with equal force. But that was many years ago, and Hanzo wasn’t sure whether the current situation was better or worse. The older dragon could not bear to hold his brother’s gaze for long. There was too much concern in it—too much pity. Another heavy silence hung in the air. It was Hanzo this time that broke it. 

“My cup…is empty,” he offered. 

Genji skipped a beat, then scrambled forward to pour sake for them both. They sat for what seemed like hours longer in silence, but it was not altogether uncomfortable.  
The sake gradually warmed Hanzo in temperature, if not in feeling. It was perhaps for this reason that he found words again.

“Brother. I appreciate your concern,” he managed. 

Genji turned with surprise at the acknowledgement. He rubbed at the back of his neck. “You have looked after me for so long. You look after everything. Except for yourself.”

“Hn.” Hanzo snorted. “I am fine.”

Genji sat straighter all of a sudden. “Don’t you feel it though?”

Hanzo turns towards his brother questioningly.

“It’s why I returned. I was in Kyoto when the first blossoms were blooming. It was on the wind, and it was moving in this direction.”

“What was?” Hanzo asked with mild impatience. 

Genji looked thoughtful. “I’m not sure, but it was something. Or someone. And it felt like…change.” 

Genji looked almost excited by this prospect, whereas it brought an uncomfortable chill to Hanzo’s skin. His younger brother had always been better at sensing premonitions, and Hanzo wondered at what this one might bring.

\---

A few miles away, in Hanamura, a man stepped off the 9:00pm train from Kyoto. There was no sun, but the Stetson was still sitting askew on his head. He adjusted it slightly and squinted to get a better view of the town, and easy smile on his lips.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some action. Hanzo rolls his eyes a lot. Like, so much that I've run out of synonyms...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the <3!  
> Hopefully you will enjoy this chapter as well.  
> I don't feel as though I'm very good at action scenes. Please forgive my lack of imagination!

Genji stayed in the area for a few days, flitting back and forth to help with errands. As was his custom though, each errand away took a little bit longer, as a restlessness grew in his spirit. He never formally said goodbye when he left in these circumstances, but Hanzo always knew when the time was approaching. 

“Aniki. There is something that I need to do in Osaka.”

Genji was always the most vague upon departure. Hanzo guessed it was because he disliked admitting they were parting, or because he felt guilty. 

Hanzo tried never to make a big deal about it. He nodded. “Of course. I will await your return.”

Genji nodded as well and moved to leave. He stopped right at the mouth of the cave and chuckled.

“What is it?”

“You say that every time,” Genji pointed out. 

“So that you know it’s alright to go.” 

Both brothers looked a bit shocked at Hanzo’s honesty. Genji laughed again. 

“Maybe change has arrived,” the ninja mused. With another nod, he leapt swiftly from view. 

Hanzo frowned.

\--- 

A few days later, change fell right into Hanzo’s lap. 

He was training at the cliffs by the ocean, in fully human form, when he heard the gunfire. He gathered his bow and darted out of plain sight, trying to determine the direction of the sound. He moved towards it with stealth, jumping gracefully up the familiar rock walls to gain height advantage. There were five men dressed in black, aiming at a target on the rock face. A single man stood on a higher ledge, a short distance from Hanzo. He was wearing a wide-brimmed hat. Neither party seemed to see Hanzo because of the uneven rocks and the distraction of battle. 

Hanzo drew his bow, taking a step back, but wasn’t entirely sure where to aim it. He knew nothing of these men, nor their quarrel. He strained to get a better look. The group of men near the bottom of the cliff were heavily armed, but otherwise unidentifiable.  
Hanzo turned his attention to the man in the hat.

The man was taking cover behind a rock face between shots. The ruffled, brown hair, held in place by the hat, was itself accentuating a chiseled jaw, currently tensed in concentration. Clearly, the man knew his way around his weapon, which he was able to reload in a single, smooth action. His broad chest and shoulders were wrapped loosely in a red cloth. Ducking behind the rocks again, the man looked upwards towards the sun. The light flashed across his startling eyes. It looked like he was trying to tell the time. The light also reflected off his left arm.

_Metal._

Hanzo hesitated. 

Of course the group of men could potentially pose a greater threat, and the man in the hat was better looking—Hanzo stopped himself for a moment to reflect upon this unintentional thought. He was interrupted though by a grunt of pain. Looking up, he saw the man in the hat clutching at his right leg, and staggering back. This change in angle caused him to turn to face Hanzo. Their eyes met, and both jumped in surprise. Hanzo couldn’t identify why, but the man’s stare went straight to the core of his chest. He could feel the dragons on his tattoo begin to move restlessly, a feeling that he too began to feel in his stomach. 

_Change._

Recovering first, the other man’s grimace broke into a huge smile. He winked. Hanzo scowled.

Without stopping to think, the archer replaced his regular shot with a scatter arrow. Turning swiftly to face the men in black, he landed a head shot, taking down another with the ricochet. The man in the hat also turned his attention back to the battle, and used this distraction to land two kills of his own (with only two bullets, Hanzo noted, impressed). The last succumbed to Hanzo’s next arrow. Hanzo couldn’t help but notice how easily they worked together without even exchanging a word. Usually preferring to hunt alone, he rarely felt chemistry of this sort in battle. 

Now that the fight had ended, however, Hanzo felt oddly exposed. He could feel the weight of the other man’s eyes on him, evaluating him closely. Without another word, he turned to leave, hoping that he wasn’t blushing. 

“Wha-whoa there, now hold on,” the man with the hat protested. 

_English. An American._

There was another pained gasp, indicating that he must have tried to move in Hanzo’s direction. 

Normally, this would not have deterred the dragon. In fact, he likely would have disappeared even quicker than before. There was something in the man’s voice though that made him hesitate. The depth of its tone found resonance at the base of the archer’s spine. The other man took Hanzo’s hesitation as encouragement. 

“Pretty handy with that bow,” the man sounded genuinely impressed. 

“Hn.” Hanzo may have stopped, but he was still facing the other way. There was a scratching sound and more grunts, indicating that the other man was trying again to move towards him. 

“Stay,” Hanzo commanded in English. He finally turned to face the man again, and moved to close the distance by scaling the rocks. The man’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. Hanzo rolled his eyes. 

Standing beside him now, Hanzo could see the man did not take his cowboy theme in half measures. The man was leaning against the wall and tilted his head downward slightly to meet Hanzo’s eyes with his own. 

_Light amber._

Hanzo didn’t realize he was looking into those eyes searchingly until the man chuckled. The dragon frowned and immediately looked away. 

“The name’s McCree. My friends call me Jesse,” the other man drawled, holding out his human hand. Ignoring it, Hanzo crouched down to examine the wound on McCree’s leg. He noticed with a bit of satisfaction that McCree’s face fell a little. 

“The bullet is still in the wound,” Hanzo replied bluntly. “Otherwise, it is not serious.”

“First good news I’ve heard all day,” McCree grinned, until he tried again to put weight on the leg. “Ouch.”

Hanzo frowned again. He wanted this man out of his territory immediately, but it did not seem like McCree would be able to walk far by himself. Regardless, the injury needed tending. 

“Wait here.” 

“Just in the open?” 

Hanzo scowled again, but knew that the cowboy was right. He stood up, and offered the other man his hand. With a little difficulty, McCree was able to stand with Hanzo supporting part of his weight. Internally, the dragon’s mind was still reeling, trying to figure out the best solution. He finally decided that it would be safe enough to bring the wounded man to the farther entrance of his caves. It would be difficult for him to find again without Hanzo’s help, and he would never suspect that the caves were actually home. Besides, with the help of the spring water, Hanzo could expedite the man’s departure. 

Hanzo guided McCree down the cliff face. He intentionally took a long, circular route to better hide where they were going, feeling little guilt at the wounded man’s struggle. McCree was doing his best to keep his pain to himself, and didn’t complain. He was focused on trying to further petty conversation. It was not going well for him. 

“So what do I call you?”

Silence.

“What are you doing’ ‘round these parts?”

No reply. 

“I mean it’s beautiful here and all. Can’t imagine there’s much else other than all this nature though, is there?”

Huff. 

“You’re from Hanamura then, ain’t you? That’s a pretty little town.”

“This is difficult enough without your constant pestering,” Hanzo eventually snarled, struggling with the cowboy’s weight. 

“Well, gee, I’m sorry darlin’. Jus’ tryin’ to be friendly.” 

The pet name did not go unnoticed, but Hanzo refused to acknowledge it. They walked in silence for another few minutes, the only audible sound being McCree’s slight wincing. Hanzo remembered again that the round-about path must have been exasperating the pain. The attempts at conversation had likely been distracting the other man. He sighed. 

“Hanzo.”

McCree shifted and stopped. “Beg pardon?”

“My name is Hanzo.”

Hanzo immediately regretted saying this, as McCree took this as an excuse to begin chattering enthusiastically again, and Hanzo had now committed to answering. He grit his teeth, trying to move a bit faster. 

“Hanzo. Where’d you learn to shoot like that, Hanzo?” The cowboy was enjoying the sound of the new name on his tongue. 

“From my father.”

“Well, that’s mighty fine. Hell, I think you’re even better than me.”

“Thank you.”

“What do you shoot around here with that bow, anyhow?”

“Rabbits.”

“Oh I see now! You’re a hunter.”

“No.”

“No?”

“No.”

“Then what—“ 

“Park ranger.”

McCree burst into hearty laughter at this response, shifting his weight and causing the both of them to tumble and lose footing. Hanzo swore in Japanese as he fell first, the cowboy tumbling afterwards into his lap. McCree cried out a bit in pain, but didn’t stop laughing.

“What. Is so funny.” 

“Oh nothin’, darlin’. S’just that most folks put a bit more effort into their lies, is all.”

“Hn,” Hanzo snorted, “And I assume that if I asked you what you were doing in my territory, armed and engaged in a gun fight with five other men, that you would tell me the truth?”

McCree regarded the archer thoughtfully for a moment. Hanzo again turned away to avoid eye contact, ears burning from the almost tender gaze. He pushed McCree off his lap, with some intentional force. The cowboy yelped. Hanzo stood and offered his hand again. 

“You have me there, darlin’,” McCree confessed with a grin. 

After what seemed like hours (to Hanzo at least. McCree continued to babble the entire way), they reached the cave entrance. Once inside, Hanzo helped the cowboy sit so that his back was against a wall. 

“Wait here.”

“For you? Gladly.” 

Hanzo once again gave no answer, disappearing into the darkness. Returning to the pool, he grabbed a flask and filled it with some of the spring water, returning to McCree quickly after. He found the cowboy exactly where he had left him. 

“What took you?”

Hanzo was feeling dizzy from the number of times his eyes had to roll to the back of his head. He took a different flask that had been attached to his belt and pushed it towards McCree. 

“Drink.”

McCree took a long, hard swig and nearly coughed it all back up. Hanzo smirked. 

“I would have thought you would be able to handle liquor, cowboy.” 

“I thought it was water. You don’t hand a man a water bottle filled with rice wine without warnin’,” McCree protested. His lower lip twisted into a pout. Hanzo may have found it a little endearing, but did not think on it further. McCree took another long swig from the flask, just to prove himself. This went down smoother.  
While he was doing so, Hanzo looked more carefully at the wound in the man’s leg. He reached for his short knife, also tied to his belt. Realizing he would need something to wrap the wound, he took off the ribbon tying his hair up in anticipation. He could feel his hair fall to his shoulders, and looked up in annoyance when this drew a whistle. 

“Must you?”

“Just showin’ my appreciation, darlin’,” McCree smiled wolfishly again. 

Hanzo huffed. 

“Close your eyes.”

McCree raised an eyebrow. 

“Now does that mean I’m gonna get a ki—“ 

“Must you be a child about everything?” Exasperation was getting the better of the dragon. “Close your eyes.”

“I’ve seen far worse than this, buttercup.”

“…don’t ever call me that again.” Hanzo lifted his knife up, menacing. 

McCree laughed. “So ‘darlin’ it is?”

Hanzo grit his teeth. 

“I am quickly regretting that I saved your life.”

McCree looked wounded and stayed silent, which appeased the dragon a little.

“Look. Away.”

“Naw, I’ve seen way worse. Don’t have to hide that little bit of blood from me.”

“I would *prefer* that you look away. It makes me nervous.”

“Do I make you nervous, darlin’?” McCree spoke a bit softer, leaning in with that damned smile tugging at the corner of his lips again. Hanzo just glared. McCree took a long sigh, and obediently let his head fall back, closing his eyes. 

“Keep them closed.”

“Anything you say.”

Focusing again on the wound, Hanzo readied the tip of his knife against the side of the bullet. He looked up. 

“Brace yourself.” 

For once, the cowboy didn’t answer, only nodding once in response. 

Hanzo quickly stabbed into the side of the wound, drawing a surprised grunt from McCree. He ignored this, and dug the bullet out in one stroke. Putting the knife down, he took the flask filled with spring water and soaked his ribbon in it. He held the ribbon in his left hand, just as his tattoo started to glow a faint blue. The light spread down his arm, reaching the cloth, and causing it to glow in harmony. Hanzo pressed the ribbon to the wound with a firm pressure. His hand continued to glow while he applied pressure. He closed his eyes, and imagined the wound closing, pulled by the force flowing through his own body. He could feel it working, and McCree’s breath grew longer to confirm that the pain was lessened. Hanzo tied the ribbon tightly around the cowboy’s leg. He flicked his eyes upward to find McCree’s eyes strained shut, taking long breaths through his mouth. Sweat glistened on his face. Hanzo sat for a moment in awe before he caught himself. 

“It’s done.” He moved away with an abrupt motion to rinse off his knife. The other man opened his eyes and smiled. 

“Much obliged. Strange, but it feels better already. Normally it feels much worse. What’s that that you put on the—“

“An herbal disinfectant. Old family tradition.”

“Amazin’.”

They were interrupted by the sound of McCree’s stomach growling. The man looked embarrassed. Hanzo sighed. 

“You should probably not move for a while. I will find us something to eat. Wait here.” 

“Gladly. Thank you kindly.”

Hanzo returned moments later with a large fish. 

“Welcome home, darlin’,” McCree greeted. 

“Hn,” Hanzo took out his knife once again to de-scale and gut his catch. McCree watched with interest at his skill, and commented on it. 

Hanzo realized just in time, luckily, that he would have to cook the fish for the man. Also, while he wasn’t complaining, McCree had wrapped his red scarf closer around his body, and was sitting with his arms crossed. Hanzo collected some firewood to start a fire, swatting McCree’s hand away as he tried to help. 

“Sit still,” he commanded. 

“But you’ve been takin’ care of me so good. Let me help.”

“No. Rest.”

McCree sat back again, defeated. This unfortunately gave him time to return to his questioning. 

“Hey, Hanzo.”

“What.”

“Why’d ya save me up there?”

Hanzo stiffened. 

“I mean, how’d ya know I was the good guy?”

“I don’t,” Hanzo replied, resuming his work. 

“You helped me kill *five men*, without bein’ sure?” McCree was looking at him head tilted, genuinely curious. Hanzo himself was also curious about the answer. He realized with a bit of panic that he didn’t have one. 

“Don’t want to seem ungrateful,” McCree said quickly. “I’m very glad to have met you. It was worth almost losing my life.” 

Hanzo could feel his ears burning, and hoped that the dimming light hid this from the cowboy. 

McCree spoke more softly. “Hell, when I laid eyes on you, I was thinkin’ that if you were the last thing I ever saw, I could die happy.”

It was at this point that Hanzo noticed the flask containing the liquor was sitting empty beside McCree. He snorted, standing to pick up the empty bottle. 

“You truly have no temperance for liquor.”

McCree grabbed Hanzo’s wrist right as it reached down for the flask, and held it firmly, forcing Hanzo’s face close to his own. They locked eyes again for a moment, and Hanzo felt that tingle again spread throughout his body, starting from his arm this time. It was becoming too familiar. In a blink, McCree was pinned face down, arm twisted painfully behind his back. He barely had time to yelp in pain. 

“Alright, alright! I’m sorry! Yer right, I’ve no head for liquor,” McCree conceded. 

Hanzo let him go, ignoring the fact that the cowboy did not actually seem inebriated. He didn’t answer, returning to the fish and the fire. 

While Hanzo preferred raw meat, he managed to choke down the cooked fish. He looked up to find McCree grinning at him again, but luckily, the man said nothing.  
It was almost dark when they finished. 

“I will escort you back to Hanamura.”

“Much obliged,” McCree answered cheerfully. “I was wonderin’ how I’d get back. Hope I’ve not been too much of an inconvenience.”

“Can you stand?” Hanzo asked, without acknowledging McCree’s sentiment. 

McCree slowly drew himself up with a bit of help. He seemed surprised at the result. 

“That’s some medicine you gave me there.”

“Let us go.”

The trip to Hanamura was uneventful and mostly silent. Hanzo noticed again though that the quiet was not an uncomfortable one. He spoke when they neared the gates. 

“I must leave you here.”

He felt a strange stir in his chest when he saw the disappointment on McCree’s face. 

“Oh. I was hopin’ to repay you for your kindness.”

“That is not necessary.”

“That’s not for you to decide, darlin’. But if you insist. I’ll just have to thank you the next time we meet.”

“There will be no next time,” Hanzo tried to steel his voice to reinforce the finality of his words. “Have a good night.”

“’Night!” McCree called after him, smirking to the back of the archer’s head. 

_Oh I’ll make sure that there will be._

\--- 

“There was five of ‘em. They were definitely lookin’ for somethin’.”

“What intel were you able to collect?”

McCree scratched the back of his head, eyes averting away from his laptop screen and the scrutinizing stare of the man in the mask. “Well, they weren’t really doin’ a lot of talkin’ by the end of it…”

“…All five? Goddammit, McCree,” Soldier 76 growled. 

“It was in defense!” McCree protested. 

“You are a shit spy,” Morrison retorted. 

“Yeah? Well, spy work ain’t really what I was in to in Blackwatch,” McCree crossed his arms. “I’ll find out what Talon’s up to. Just need more time, is all.”

Morrison sighed. “Finish the job,” he barked. He sat straighter all of a sudden (as if that were even possible, McCree thought to himself). 

“You eliminated all five targets by yourself?” 

McCree snorted. “Don’t sound so surprised.”

The answer seemed good enough, to McCree’s relief. 

“Check in again in 48 hours. Soldier 76 out.”

McCree chuckled to himself a bit at the formality of the other man’s speech. He closed the lid of his laptop and stretched out fully onto the bed, rubbing his leg wound thoughtfully. It somehow felt safer to leave out the details regarding Hanzo. While McCree couldn’t exactly figure out why, he had a feeling deep inside that it was for the other man’s safety, not his own. Thinking back on his encounter with the man, McCree felt that same warmth that had hit the inside of his stomach the first moment they locked eyes. He had never thought of himself as in much need of protecting, so it always struck him when others stepped out of their way to prove him wrong. It ignited a strong feeling to reciprocate. 

_That adorable lil’ scowl didn’t hurt either._

He sat up all of a sudden and gingerly peeled back the ribbon tied to his leg, unsurprised that the wound was almost completely closed. 

There was something about Hanzo. He was glad for the extra time on the assignment, and was confident that he would be able to unravel both mysteries at once.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.  
> I'm so sorry.  
> But you knew that the "angst" in the "angst & fluff" tag had to start somewhere. As well as the "hurt" in the "hurt & comfort".  
> That being said, this chapter is mostly fluff, mostly realization about warm and fuzzy feelings.  
> ...mostly.  
> Darkest before dawn, right? I'll try to upload the next chapter in the next few days as an antidote!  
> Relations warm up, Hanamura date, Genji makes an appearance. Things escalate.  
> New warnings: Rating updated for a bit of blood and swearing. Will be updated again soon.  
> I'm a bit nervous about writing regarding Japanese traditions. Hopefully these do not offend!  
> Also, you learn about my penchant for melodrama in this chapter.  
> <3

The previous day’s encounter had put Hanzo on higher alert. He woke up and began his rounds early, looking for evidence of more black clothed men. Several hours into his routine, there was gunfire, this time closer to his caves. Hanzo once again kept out of sight, moving closer to the sound. 

He huffed in irritation when he found McCree alone, firing blank rounds towards a rock. He drew a little closer. 

The cowboy’s hat was on the grass by his feet, beside a rucksack. He had taken off the serape, given the sudden humidity brought by the warm breeze and the sun. McCree rolled his shoulders back, tilting his head from one side to another, before firing another round. The motion drew attention to the muscles along his back, so defined that they rippled clearly through his shirt.

“Was hopin’ you’d say hello instead of just staring,” McCree turned his body slightly and waited. 

Hanzo tensed. There was no way that he could have been detected. He narrowed his eyes, and the blue dragons burned on his chest and along his arm. He sensed a weight to his right, drawing his attention, and turned to find an electronic device mounted to the face of the cliff. He swore silently to himself, cursing the carelessness with which he had moved towards McCree. It wasn’t like him. 

Seeing no other recourse, Hanzo stepped out from behind the wall, sheepish. He grabbed the device on his way up and threw it back at the cowboy. McCree looked absolutely delighted to see him. 

“Howdy!”

“What are you doing?” Hanzo asked flatly. 

“Why, tryin’ to tease out my savior from the other day, of course,” the cowboy answered cheerfully. 

Hanzo realized with annoyance that he was not completely displeased by this answer, and that just made him more irritable.

“I have better things to do than to babysit you,” Hanzo hoped his practiced scowl would make the other man cower, but had no such luck. 

“Like what? Park rangerin’?” McCree inquired innocently. 

“Like finding out why six men were trying to kill each other yesterday in my territory,” Hanzo snapped back, taking a few steps forward. 

“You got me there, darlin’,” McCree laughed. “But shucks, all you had to do was ask.”

“And you would tell me the truth.”

“For you? Always,” McCree purred. An arrow whizzed past his left ear. “Now, hold on!” he put both hands in the air in mock surrender, turning his gun downward. “I even brought you lunch.”

Looking to the dragon for permission, McCree slowly reached down and pulled out a bento box from his rucksack. The cover was clear, allowing Hanzo to see that it was sashimi. 

The dragon frowned. 

“How did you know—“

“Know what, darlin’?” Once again, McCree was all innocence. 

Hanzo couldn’t stop the exasperated sigh escaping from his chest. He lowered his bow. 

“There is no need to thank—“

“Once again, that’s not for you to decide. Also got you this, seein’ I drank all of yours,” the cowboy reached into his bag again and pulled out a bottle of sake. Hanzo leaned in to peer at its label. McCree watched for his reaction. 

“Hn.”

“Well?”

“Acceptable,” Hanzo said at last. McCree let out a joyous whoop. 

“See, there’s just one problem. I got the sake, but forgot to bring glasses.”

Hanzo was quick to see where this was going. He fixed a glower on the cowboy, but McCree failed to wither. 

“I mean, I s’pose we could just chug it from the bottle, like heathens—“

“I believe the phrase Americans prefer is, ‘fuck you’.” 

The cowboy laughed loudly, and started packing up his belongings. Hanzo turned abruptly without another word, wondering again about the wisdom in bringing the man to the caves, twice in two days. 

\--- 

This continued for several days more. Hanzo would find McCree close to his caves early every morning. McCree would come up with some reason to linger, and they would end up having lunch. Hanzo did not want to admit it, but after the first few days, he began to expect and even look forward to hearing Peacekeeper’s (ridiculous name for a weapon) shots echoing against the trees. 

On the second day, McCree presented Hanzo with a well-wrapped package. The archer regarded it warily. 

“For you. Open it,” McCree leaned forward with anticipation. 

Hanzo carefully unwrapped the delicate tissue paper to find a long, silk ribbon with a scale-like pattern, in royal blue. 

“Tried my best to get all the blood out of the one you lent me,” McCree explained, eyes still fixed on Hanzo’s reaction. 

“You mean the gold ribbon currently wrapped around your right wrist?” Hanzo deadpanned. He had noticed it the first day the cowboy returned. 

McCree flushed pink. “I wasn’t able to clean it completely, and well…you deserve nothing short of perfect. I can give it back, if you want.” 

“No…keep it. Thank you for the gift. It is beautiful.” 

Hanzo realized then that he felt an unexpected warmth and satisfaction when he was able to make McCree’s smile light up his entire face. 

\--- 

It was after the first week that he finally asked about the initial gunfight. 

“Call themselves ‘Talon’. Nasty group of fuckers. Pardon the language,” McCree added sheepishly. Hanzo shrugged it off. “They trade in anythin’ from theft and drug traffickin’ to assassination and general terrorism. More recently, they’ve been lookin’ at bioweapons.”

They had returned to Hanzo’s caves, but through the main entrance this time, so that they were next to the pool. McCree had marveled at it for a while, but did not ask any questions. It was in fact Hanzo himself who was asking himself why he had thought it prudent to allow the man into his living quarters. 

McCree had stopped his story to take a sip of sake. 

“They arrived in Japan about a month ago, and arrived at Hanamura about a week ago. Seein’ that your town ain’t exactly a centre of scientific research, we were wonderin’ about their motives.” 

“We?”

“I’m part of an organization,” McCree wondered how much trouble he’d get if Morrison ever found out he was sharing this, but sharing everything with Hanzo seemed to be easy. “It’s called Overwatch. We take care of bad people like Talon all over the world.”

“I see,” Hanzo said slowly. “Do you think Hanamura is in danger?”

“I’m not sure exactly what to think at the moment,” McCree confessed. “That’s what I’m here to find out. I was patrolling the town when I found our friends the other day, and followed them to the cliffs, where you found us. That’s all I got.”

“Hn. But they were stationed in Hanamura.”

McCree nodded. 

“And you think there may be more of them?”

“If not now, then soon. The first wave failed in whatever it was they were tryin’ to do.”

Hanzo considered this for a moment longer. He also took a sip from his cup.

“I have…some sway in the town. If we go together, I may be of service.”

There was oddly no answer. Hanzo looked up to find McCree’s eyes wide and glassy. 

“Are you alright?” The dragon asked irritably.

“Together?” McCree breathed. 

“I already regret this.” 

\--- 

A couple hours later, Hanzo found himself wandering the streets of Hanamura for the first time in what must have been decades, with McCree following beside him like an excited puppy. While he was the professed guardian of the town, being in it made him ill at ease. Spring had just reached Hanamura, and the cherry blossoms were in bloom. They brought back Genji’s words about change being on the wind. 

The dragon was somewhat amazed to find the town so different, yet so much the same. The streets and buildings were all where he remembered them to be, but the faces had all changed. A few of the older residents began to whisper as he walked past, with awe. 

McCree noticed this right away. 

“Important figure in this parts, park ranger?”

“You might say so, yes,” Hanzo answered absently. He continued to scan the crowd for familiar faces. 

“Kami-sama.” 

Hanzo turned at the greeting to find a short, elderly lady. 

He looked up to identify the storefront. It was a small street stand that sold aburi mochi. He searched his memory. 

“…Chiyo-san?”

\--- 

McCree observed the conversation, but could make nothing of it. The elderly woman seemed elated to see Hanzo, and approached him with excited reverence. She drew what he assumed to be her family close to her (they were helping with the stand) and introduced “kami-sama”, and they treated him with the same admiration. McCree noticed in amusement that Hanzo looked ill at ease with all of the attention. The cowboy stepped back slightly to allow give space to the conversation. He scanned the rest of the street to find that a small crowd was drawing closer and closer to them. The whispers were getting louder. 

Hanzo must have noticed this as well, because he turned his head slightly to face the crowd. They froze and quieted. The man shook his head slightly, throwing a pointed glance to McCree. McCree could feel the eyes of the entire street train on him at exactly the same moment. Almost as instantaneously, they dispersed, as if nothing had happened. 

_Interesting._

He turned his attention back to Hanzo. The archer’s face was stoic as usual, as he accepted what must have been praise. McCree grinned impishly, thinking on how much fun it was to try to break through that armor.

He shifted his gaze to find the elderly lady looking straight at him. It looked like she was asking Hanzo something, but she did not break eye contact with the cowboy.  
McCree gave her a friendly smile, and tipped his hat. 

Hanzo frowned as he answered her. 

Chiyo laughed in response, and walked over to McCree. She began to speak to him rapidly in Japanese. McCree smiled again, and tried to indicate that he did not understand what she was saying, but she did not stop. From a distance, McCree could see Hanzo smirking at first, and then looking more and more uncomfortable. The rest of Chiyo-san’s family seemed amused. At one point, Chiyo took both of McCree’s huge hands into her own small ones, and looked up at him in earnest, asking him a question. 

Hanzo replied for him, somewhat impatiently. Instead of being discouraged, the lady laughed at him and seemed to be chastising him instead. Hanzo’s blushed bright red, eyes fixed on the ground. 

One of the Chiyo’s grandchildren started making her way toward McCree, but was stopped by Hanzo’s glare. She bowed, and walked backwards again. 

_Huh._

Hanzo said his goodbyes, and they exchanged bows. On their way out, Chiyo took one of the sticks that was sitting on top of the coals and insisted that Hanzo take it. It looked like a charred marshmallow. She then put one into McCree’s hands, and once again would not take no for an answer. McCree thanked her as well as he could, and they continued down the street.

“What was that all about?” 

“It’s a rice cake sweet. Try it.”

“You know that’s not what I meant,” McCree complained. “Hanzo?”

McCree turned his head, finding the other man lost in thought. 

“The last time I saw Chiyo-san, she was still in her twenties.”

“Now, hold on. That makes you, what, a hundred?” McCree stopped, and put a hand on Hanzo’s chest. Hanzo looked down at the hand and looked up again, startled out of his reverie. He scowled, swatting the other man’s hand out of the way. 

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he snapped. “It’s just a Japanese saying that loses something in translation.”

_Sure, just like the ancient Japanese herbal remedy that erases the bullet hole from a man’s body overnight._

McCree decided not to say this out loud, knowing he would receive no answer. 

“What was she tryin’ to say to me?”

Hanzo shrugged. “She liked your hat.”

McCree gave a quiet huff in frustration. Hanzo heard and smirked, making McCree’s irritation worthwhile. 

“She noticed the arrival of the foreigners as you said, but has not seen any others. They were staying at an onsen just down the street. We can inquire there. Perhaps I should go alone.”

“Why?”

“They won’t trust you,” Hanzo said matter-of-factly.

“Fine. Where do I wait for you?” 

“You have a room, yes?” 

“You want to know where my room—yes, it’s just one street over, beside a ramen shop,” McCree stopped the flirting mid-sentence, as Hanzo reached for his bow as a threat.

“I know the one. I will meet you there afterwards.”

“Room 306.”

\--- 

Instead of heading immediately back to his hotel, however, McCree retraced his steps to Chiyo-san’s stand. She was once again happy to see him, despite Hanzo’s absence. He tipped his hat to her again, and caught the eye of the girl who had tried to approach him before. 

She approached, sensing the summons, mirth in her eyes. 

“Hello little lady,” McCree touched his hat. The girl giggled. 

“Hello, cowboy.” Her English confirmed McCree’s suspicions. He flashed her a brilliant smile. 

“The name’s McCree. What’s yours?”

“Mayuri,” she bowed slightly.

“Sorry to bother y’all again, Mayuri-san,” he exaggerated his drawl to cause another fit of giggles from the girl. “But I had a feelin’ you spoke English. Yer grandma, she’s a fine lady.”

“Thank you,” the girl smiled again. 

“I feel mighty badly though. She was bein’ all sweet an’ all, but I couldn’t understand a word she was sayin’.” 

The girl’s face fell a little. She seemed to be conflicted. 

“I’m not tryin’ to pry about kami-sama,” McCree used the title that they were using for Hanzo. “A man’s entitled to his secrets, I should know. I just wanted to know if there was any wisdom that yer grandma was tryin’ to tell me, about…life in general. Not that it would apply to kami-sama. But just, *in general*, y’know what I’m sayin’?” 

“Yes, I understand,” she answered slowly. Her bright smile returned. “She said that there are…some who walk among us who hold the world on their shoulders. They are bound to their duty and know nothing else. She said that, if you were to encounter such a person, that person would be blessed to have your company. She could tell by your kind eyes that you could care for such a person very much.”

“I see,” McCree was beginning to see why Hanzo wanted to leave so quickly. The girl’s words pressed hard against his chest. 

“And she said at the end, that she would thank you so much for taking care of such a person, who is too stubborn and too foolish to take care of himself.”

Mayuri tilted her head to look at McCree more closely. “Such people do not allow others to become close to them very easily. She has observed this of such men in her long life. That you might…be beside someone like this still, means there is hope.” 

McCree smiled at this. “For him, or for me?”

Mayuri laughed. “For both,” she answered. 

\--- 

When McCree arrived at his hotel room, Hanzo was already waiting outside impatiently. 

“Where were you?” He asked crossly. 

“Felt hungry. Man’s gotta eat.”

That didn’t erase the suspicion from Hanzo’s brow. McCree pretended he didn’t notice, and unlocked the door. 

“Don’t mind the mess,” he said apologetically. “Wasn’t expecting guests.”

Hanzo looked around for a place to sit. McCree gestured towards the bed. Hanzo narrowed his eyes. McCree raised his hands to beg innocence, and sat on the floor. The other man begrudgingly took a seat, and took a stack of papers from his bag. 

“The owner could tell me nothing more of their identity, but found these in the rooms that they were occupying. It seems to be written in code.”

McCree took the papers. “I’ll send them to Winston. He’ll be able to break through them real quick.”

Hanzo nodded. “Tell me if you find anything.”

“Of course.” McCree was taking pictures of the documents with his phone to be emailed.

“Thank you,” McCree added. “For today.”

Hanzo looked at him, confused. 

“I had fun,” he smiled warmly, feeling smug as Hanzo blushed red. “Can we do it again tomorrow?”

“That depends on how fast your source gets back to you about the papers.”

The cowboy embellished his wounded expression. “We can’t just hang out for us, darlin’?”

Hanzo snorted. 

McCree leapt forward all of a sudden, forcing the archer to retreat, back against the wall. His conversation with Mayuri had given him new confidence. It was time to test Chiyo’s theory about why Hanzo was allowing his presence. He stopped right before their lips met, drawing a breath in, flicking his gaze upward to ask for permission. 

\--- 

Hanzo froze in place. The flirting he had just dismissed as part of the cowboy’s personality. He never expected the man to actually act on it. He also never expected to feel a sudden desire well up in his chest, now that they were so close. The dragons on his tattoo sent a searing heat right through his body, evidently pleased at this new development. 

Hanzo’s eyes fluttered slightly, and he looked through his eye lashes at the cowboy. The amber eyes were filled with hope. Hesitating for only another second, Hanzo pushed forward to close the distance between them. 

\--- 

Hanzo had hesitated for what seemed like an eternity to McCree. When the archer finally pressed towards him, McCree gave a cry of mild surprise that was immediately swallowed in Hanzo’s lips. He ran his fleshed hand through Hanzo’s hair, undoing the ribbon while taking in the other man’s lips greedily. He reached his other hand down Hanzo’s back slowly, savouring how the spine arched under his touch. 

And just as suddenly, it ended. Hanzo’s body stiffened, and he began to twist away. McCree moaned in protest, but it was no use. He reluctantly allowed the other man to pull away.

Hanzo was glowering up at him. For the first time, McCree realized that the glare too was a mask. 

_He’s afraid._

“Easy,” McCree whispered. He reached his hand towards Hanzo’s cheek again slowly, like he was about to pet a spooked colt. Hanzo dodged it.

“I do not have time for your games, cowboy,” Hanzo snapped. 

“Not a game, I’m very serious,” McCree said earnestly, hoping that his honesty could be read on his face. 

Hanzo scoffed. “And where do you think this will go? When this is all over, and you return to your organization?”

“Right now, I don’t much care,” McCree admitted. “All I know is that I want to be with you. To know you better.”

“Find yourself another toy. I cannot leave Hanamura.”

“Cannot, or will not?”

This was unfortunately the wrong thing to say. Hanzo threw him off with another snarl and stood up. McCree sighed. 

“Darlin’, look at me,” the cowboy tried again, reaching out his hand. “We’ve got somethin’ here. I can’t tell you how or why, but from the first time I saw you, I knew.”

 _He’s shaking._

“I…” Hanzo started angrily.

McCree kneeled at Hanzo’s feet, and gingerly took Hanzo’s hand. The archer allowed it.

“I…”

He put the hand on his own face, kissing the palm gently. 

“I need time,” Hanzo completed the sentence at last. 

McCree looked up with a hopeful smile. It wasn’t a no. 

“When will your man be able to decode the message?”

“Winston’s a smart cookie. Tomorrow, likely.”

Hanzo nodded. “Alright. Find me then. You know how.” 

“Lookin’ forward to it darlin’,” McCree pressed another chaste kiss to Hanzo’s hand. 

The archer nodded, and left swiftly—fled, if McCree were to be honest.

It didn’t matter. McCree couldn’t wipe the silly grin from his face. 

_Hope for us both._

\--- 

Hanzo returned to his home, breathless. The dragons on his chest were still burning. He could feel their disappointment as he forced his desire down and pulled himself away from McCree. He immediately jumped into the pool, not even bothering to take off his clothing. He needed to cool off. 

“Yo.”

Genji was crouched by the side of the pool, grinning. Hanzo realized in retrospect how ridiculous this must have looked.

“You’ve returned,” Hanzo managed to sputter. 

“Yup,” Genji sat down fully by the side of the pool. “As have you. It is uncommon for you to be out for so long.”

Hanzo frowned. “What do you want?”

“You look surprised that I’m back,” The wounded puppy look his younger brother was giving him was clearly fake. “I told you it was just an errand.”

“Your last errand lasted close to two years!” Hanzo snapped. 

Genji was laughing instead of cowering. This was a bad sign. 

“So. What is he like?” Genji asked, grinning from ear to ear. He leaned forward on his knees.

“Who?” Hanzo asked through clenched teeth. His entire body was burning so much, he wondered whether the water was steaming. 

“The man whose scent is all over the cave. And all over you.” 

Genji squawked as Hanzo splashed water at him. 

Hanzo sank beneath the water. 

“Aww, aniki! Come back,” the younger dragon pleaded. 

“No.”

The sentiment echoed through the cave, despite the fact that Hanzo was still under water. 

“Brother, please.”

Hanzo’s head emerged, his glowing eyes narrowed in a deadly glare. 

Genji’s smile was undeterred. He knew that Hanzo would not still be speaking with him if he were truly angry. He took a deep breath and sighed. “I’m so happy for you.”

“I never said—“ Hanzo protested. 

“You didn’t have to,” Genji continued to grin. 

Hanzo frowned. “It will lead to nothing.”

“You’ve not even tried! You’ve not even tried, right?” Genji raised his eyebrows. 

This earned another splash. 

Hanzo tried again. “A Shimada’s duty—“ 

“…doesn’t say that he doesn’t deserve companionship and love,” Genji finished. “I know you, brother. You wouldn’t give him the time of day if he hadn’t earn it.” 

Hanzo sank down a bit more into the water, not understanding why he seemed to be losing this argument.

_It was the cowboy’s fault._

He wondered whether that was entirely a bad thing. 

“So when do I get to meet him?”

Hanzo tried to deflect again. “You must think me a silly school girl to have become infatuated with someone in just a few days,” He was hoping to deliver those lines with anger, but the words came out a bit too meek. 

Genji missed nothing and began to laugh again. “Infatuated? Oh no, brother. Judging by your reaction, I think you’re completely in love.”

_In love._

The battle was lost. Genji had won, because Genji was right.

There was only one thing left he could do. 

With practiced swiftness, Hanzo propelled himself upwards and gave a roar. He wrapped his arms around his brother’s torso and pulled him roughly into the water with him. Genji gave a surprised yell. 

_At least I still always win at water fights._

\---

McCree yawned. He scratched at his chest. 

“Mornin’, Winston. What’d you have for me?”

“Ahem. Well. This was an excellent find, Agent McCree,” Winston began. “It gives us great insight to Talon’s operations.”

“Yes, well, thank you kindly,” McCree took a sip of his coffee. The agents of Overwatch were used to Winston’s measured and formal speech, and no longer thought anything of it. In fact, it was kind of endearing. “Anything we can go on?”

“Yes. It would appear that they are chasing a myth. This is a bit absurd, of course. The first few pages are a rough translation of the story. I think they lost a bit of it in the translation, but--”

“I beg pardon?”

“An ancient Japanese myth. Fascinating, actually. It describes a family of immortal water dragons. Legend has it that they were guardians of the villages and towns by which they lived. They were said to have many magical powers, like super-human healing, control over spirit—Agent McCree? Agent McCree? Where are you going?” 

There was no answer. The man on the other side of the screen had bolted without signing off. Winston heard the door of the hotel room slam on his way out. 

\--- 

_Shit shit shit._

He was their target all along. Winston didn’t have to finish his analysis. McCree knew that Talon had been experimenting with developing a super soldier program, just like the one in which Overwatch had engaged. And if Hanzo had superhuman powers…

He had to warn him. 

He was almost to the mouth of the cave when the first shots rang out, hitting the rock face beside him. 

_…fuck._

\--- 

Hanzo’s ears perked at the sound. He had been in his cave meditating, trying to push away the anticipation of McCree’s arrival. He had even put on the royal blue ribbon for the first time to prepare, so that his answer would be more immediate (and also so that he could avoid speaking the words). Genji had left as quickly as he had arrived, promising to return in a few days.

The first few shots didn’t sound like they came from McCree’s gun. They were too fast and erratic. He then heard the shots in response, which were clearly from Peacekeeper. Hanzo grabbed his bow and quickly ran for an exit that led to higher ground. 

\--- 

There were a dozen of them or so. McCree couldn’t really tell, as the bullets were coming from several directions. 

_It’s a trap._

They had followed him, but why? 

McCree’s throat suddenly went dry. 

_No…_

That day in Hanamura. They must have been watching. 

_I’ve led them straight to him._

Something sliced through the air beside McCree’s head, missing his hat by a millimeter. There was a gargling sound as Hanzo’s first arrow found its mark in the throat of a gunman. McCree turned around quickly to see the man standing on a higher ridge. 

_Blue. My blue ribbon._

He tried to swallow away the lump in his throat. Between the two of them, they could do this. He squinted, trying to focus on the direction of the bullets from behind his cover. He quickly emerged, taking down two other Talon agents with two shots. Just as fast, he ducked back. 

Hanzo unleashed another scatter arrow, causing several more cries of pain. He then loaded an arrow that glowed blue at the tip. It hit ground, close to the middle of where the agents were hiding. Jesse was confused for a moment. He did not expect the man to miss. He realized quickly though that hit was a sonic arrow, and that he was somehow able to see the outline of the agents standing behind cover. There were still 11 of them. 

He looked up to meet Hanzo’s gaze. The archer nodded, and he nodded back, once again pushing away his fear. 

Emerging from cover again, he was able to take down 3 more operatives, tracking their movement with Hanzo’s sonar. Hanzo was able to do the same. 

McCree was starting to feel more confident. He turned again to look at Hanzo for strength, and was horrified to find three Talon agents a short distance behind him. 

“Hanzo! Look out!” 

Hanzo turned quickly, and loaded his bow. The dragon tattoo on his arm began to glow light blue. He hesitated suddenly though, and turned his attention back to McCree. 

“What the hell are you—“ McCree roared. 

“Ryuu ga waga teki wo kurau!!” Hanzo’s voice echoed, amplified by the cliff walls. Two glowing blue dragons burst from the arrow, drawing outward from his tattoo. As they went straight through McCree, he felt himself wrapped in their light and warmth. 

_In love._

McCree jolted. The words hadn’t been spoken by anyone in particular, but seemed to reverberate through every nerve in Jesse’s body. 

The agonizing screams brought McCree back to reality. The dragons were not so kind when they passed through bodies of their enemies, all of whom were now dead or dying.  
McCree realized belatedly that in his panic, he had forgotten to take cover, which must have been why Hanzo had turned again. 

_Wait, but—_

There was another pained cry. For a moment, McCree thought that he himself had been hit: the sound of it certainly struck Jesse hard right in the chest. 

“No!” 

Hanzo slumped over, holding his abdomen. His hand was covered in his own blood, having taken a round of bullets to the back. He locked gazes with McCree. 

“Run, Jesse,” he managed weakly.

McCree noticed that Hanzo had used his first name, which made the pain in his chest even worse. 

He barely noticed the roar escape his lips as he took erratic shots at the agents behind Hanzo. He managed to kill one. He tried to scramble closer.

“Hanzo! They’re not after me! They’re after—“ 

Hanzo cried out in pain again, as one of the Talon operatives hit him hard over the head with his rifle. 

McCree trained Peacekeeper on the remaining agents, but they were holding the archer in front of them as a shield. 

“Thanks for your help,” one of them smirked, before throwing a smoke bomb and disappearing. 

McCree punched his human hand into the rock wall so hard that his hand bled. 

“DAMMIT!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote for years in another fandom, barely ever managing a story over 3000 words, and the first one I write for this new one is currently clocking at 17,000?!  
> Not entirely sure how to feel about this.  
> Please send help.  
>  **Actual notes:**  
>  "Kami-sama": Wikipedia tells me this is an honourific title for a god or higher deity, which is how I imagine the townspeople of Hanamura see the Shimadas.  
> "Aburi-Mochi": mochi (sweet rice cake) on a skewer, roasted over coals. Protects against evil. Super delicious.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse's Overwatch family proves it's the best family, Spirit Dragons prove they like Jesse more than Hanzo, Talon gets a beat down, and Jesse demonstrates his dragon taming skills.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the kudos and comments! <3  
> This story is starting (ha! "Starting") to spiral out of control a bit, but I think I've managed to wrangle this part at least into submission.  
> There's a lot more Overwatchy-ness in this chapter. I think I've captured some of the character correctly...  
> Hopefully you enjoy it! <3

_He chose to save me. He could have taken them out, but he chose to save me._

On instinct, McCree ran. He felt like he had been torn open from the inside, but somehow, McCree made it back to his hotel. Somehow, he managed to reconnect with Gibraltar, and told them what happened. He was barely aware of who he was speaking to. 

Luckily, it was Jack Morrison. The old soldier gathered the relevant details, loaded up their jet, and flew a team to Hanamura right away. The jet landed in a clearing beside the town several hours later. The townspeople gathered at the gates uneasily to watch their arrival, standing a good distance away. 

The doors to the plane opened. Morrison was first to step out, followed by Ana, Lena and Reinhardt.

Morrison grunted in disapproval. “Why didn’t you tell us earlier that you were working with a civilian?”

McCree didn’t answer, the brim of his hat hiding his eyes. Ana picked up on the signal. She walked over to him, and put a hand on his shoulder. Jesse looked up, eyes rimmed with red. She pulled back a bit in surprise, then gave him a motherly smile. 

“That detailed wouldn’t have mattered Jack. In fact, it sounds like we wouldn’t have figured out things so quickly without this man’s help.”

It sounded like scolding. Ana Amari was the only one in Overwatch who could get away with speaking to Jack Morrison in this way. She was also very effective at it. Morrison didn’t answer. 

She turned her attention back to McCree. “Could they still be in the town?” She asked gently. 

“I…don’t know.”

“Jesse McCree,” her voice was still gentle, but with a bit of steel. “If we are going to find this man, then you are going to have to know.”

McCree’s eyes focused for what seemed like the first time in hours. He snapped to attention. “Be right back.”

He walked towards the townspeople, who were still looking at him warily, seeing his association with the new strangers. Most of them took a few steps back as he approached.  
Mayuri was one of the ones who did not. She did not look at him with trust, however. 

“Little lady,” Jesse’s smile was a bit lopsided. “I need your help again.”

“Why are those people here? Who are you?” She asked curiously. 

“We’re the good guys. The bad guys…they…they’ve taken Hanzo. Kami-sama,” he corrected himself. 

She gasped, as did a few others. Those who did not understand English started whispering, asking for translation. 

“They were dressed in black, just like the first ones were. Has anyone seen them?”

Mayuri hesitated. “How do we know that you are a ‘good guy’, cowboy?” 

McCree already had his answer. “Because Hanzo did.”

That was enough. Mayuri turned and addressed the crowd loudly in Japanese. There was a bit of back and forth. Mayuri turned back to McCree. 

“Another plane landed outside the village a few hours ago. It has since gone.”

McCree’s heart sank. They must have just beat him back to the town, and could have been anywhere in the world by now. 

Mayuri shuffled her feet. “Will you help him, cowboy?”

McCree looked up, suddenly hopeful. “Y’know where they went?”

Mayuri held back still. “Will you take care of him, as he has taken care of us?”

“I promise I will,” McCree took a step closer, realizing how desperate he sounded. 

A voice came from behind them. Chiyo made her way to her grand-daughter, speaking swiftly in Japanese. Her voice had a chastising tone. Mayuri nodded several times, and replied just as quickly. She turned her attention back to McCree. 

“My grandmother believes you. She says that she knew from the moment she first saw you.” 

“Knew what?”

“That you loved him,” Mayuri said simply. 

McCree took in a shaky breath. Chiyo looked at him sympathetically, and took his hands again in hers. 

“Someone from our village studied in France. She said that they were speaking freely because they did not think anyone would understand their language. The men in black,” Mayuri clarified. “They spoke about bringing their target to the facility in France for testing or reconditioning. What did they mean?”

“Nothing good,” McCree’s heart leapt into his throat. “Thank you Mayuri. Chiyo-san. I’ll find him.”

They nodded. 

McCree walked back to his team to report the news. Morrison nodded. “Let’s have Winston run a list of known Talon bases in the country when we get back to the jet. Move out.”

He stopped McCree as the others made for the plane again. 

“We’ll find him, kid.”

McCree laughed uneasily. “It’s that obvious?”

Morrison snorted. “It’s Overwatch. We’re not all shit spies. None of us are, actually.” Jack said this last part pointedly.

McCree read the apology between the words, and nodded in acknowledgement. 

\--- 

They returned to Gibraltar, as it was the base closest to France. Winston met them at the landing pad. The team walked briskly together to the briefing room.

“What’d ya have for us, big guy?”

“Ah…nothing…yet, Agent McCree,” the sympathetic tone that Winston was using suggested he was already updated on the situation. “I’ve been running what we know of each of Talon’s French facilities. None of them seem to have particularly equipped for…what they plan to do.”

Winston had stopped himself from describing what they planned to do in more detail. 

“We’ve been monitoring their communications since you left Hanamura. So far, nothing out of the ordinary.” 

“Could it have been a false lead?” Lena wondered. “Maybe they were puttin’ us on?”

“No, I don’t think so. He’s close. I can feel it.”

McCree hadn’t realized he said these words out loud. There was an awkward silence. 

They arrived at the briefing room and took their usual seats. 

“When they did…what they did to Amelie,” Ana also carefully avoided specifying. “You are sure we destroyed that entire lab?” 

“With great enthusiasm,” Reinhardt confirmed. 

“It’s also not confirmed that they are preparing Hanzo for reconditioning. It seems more likely with Talon’s current interests that they would try to extract whatever powers he had first to attempt grafting them onto other soldiers, before proceeding to that as a phase tw—OW!!” Morrison’s words were stopped abruptly. He turned to face Ana, who had just beaned him in the head hard with an empty biotic grenade canister. Her arms were crossed and she was staring at him with disapproval. She threw her glance at Jesse, then back at the soldier.

“I’m fine. I can’t believe all y’all, I’m *fine*,” McCree laughed a little bit too loudly. 

“…you don’t look fine, love,” Lena put a hand on his arm gently.

Morrison huffed. “Go get some rest, agent. You’ve had a long day. We’ll look over the information and will convene at 0800 hours.”

“But—“ 

“That’s an *order*.”

McCree slammed his metal hand on the table. 

“It’s my fault!” Jesse openly spoke the words that had been repeating themselves in his head for hours. “My fault that they have him!”

“That’s bullshit and you know it,” Morrison also stood, slamming both his fists into the table. “I sent you to Hanamura. You went to warn him. He chose his target. No one fucked anything up, except for Talon. And they’ll pay for it. Now get. Some. Rest.” 

McCree felt the air deflate from his body. He nodded and returned to his quarters. 

In his washroom, he looked closely in the mirror. Lena was right. His eyes were blood-shot, and rimmed in red and black. 

He took a long shower, which allowed the events of the day to sink in even further.  
_Jesse.  
In love._

The rush of emotion he felt as the spirit dragons went through him was as unmistakable as the reasons for Hanzo’s actions. He leaned against the side of the shower weakly, not realizing that he was crying until the sob shuddered through his body. 

\--- 

Hanzo awoke to a series of sounds and smells, none familiar. His head throbbed, and any thoughts he tried to form seemed to be done underwater. He tried to move, but found his limbs heavy. 

_Drugged._

Blurred figures in black hovered above his head. He felt needles and prodding. 

Trying to push past the fog, he reached for his last available memory.  
_Jesse._

His body must have moved involuntarily at the thought, as he could feel cold hands pressing on him firmly. 

He had to make sure that the other man was alright. 

_I have to protect him._

This was his last thought before the blinding white pain began. 

\--- 

The dream began almost immediately when McCree closed his eyes. 

He was floating, surrounded by a blue light and warmth that he recognized to be from the spirit dragons. 

_Jesse._  
In love.  
  
There was something else there: panic. They were in pain. 

Unlike the previous emotions, however, McCree couldn’t feel this one by proxy. He only knew that they felt it, as if they were shielding him from it. 

There was a deep yearning as the light swirled around and though him. It settled into a comforting glow once making contact, and somehow calmed some of Jesse’s frayed nerves. 

“Where are you?” McCree called desperately. 

There was no answer.

It felt like the light was reaching infinitely outwards, trying to wrap tightly around McCree but passing through him every time. It touched every nerve, caressing it, soothing him.

 _They’re tryin’ to make sure I’m okay…_ He realized. 

Jesse woke up with a gasp.

\--- 

Days passed, then a week. McCree spent every moment reading through every shred of intel they had on Talon’s operations in France. He noticed in passing that every single member of Overwatch seemed to be on deck to help, whether directly on the case or not, and was grateful, knowing that they were doing so to look out for him. 

Lena sat through McCree’s “boring old cowboy movies” almost every other evening. Morrison gruffly invited the man to train on more than one occasion. Reinhardt brought over comically large steins of beer to his quarters. And Ana would just sit quietly beside him, holding his hand, in case he wanted to talk. 

Every night he would have a similar dream. Every night he was bathed in that soft blue light, which reached mournfully towards him. 

Another week passed, and Jesse couldn’t take it anymore. He approached Morrison after one of their morning briefings. 

“Permission to go on leave.” 

“Where?” The old soldier immediately saw where this was going. 

“To France.”

Morrison sighed. “You wouldn’t know where to look.”

“It’ll be a whole lot better than what we’re doin’ here,” McCree argued. 

“It’ll be a whole lot of stabbing in the dark!”

Everyone else was silently gathering their things, ears perked. 

“Cause that’s not what we’re doin’ here right now?”

“Agent, your emotions are clouding your judgement,” Morrison warned. 

“Soldier, your protocol is clouding yours,” McCree’s voice was getting louder.

“Children!” 

Both men turned. 

Ana was shooting them a piercing glare. The two of them noticeably withered. She turned to McCree.

“I’m coming with you.”

“Ana.”

“Shush. I need a vacation.” 

“Me too!” Lena chirped brightly. “I’ve not had a proper pain au chocolat in months!”

“It’s settled then! WE’RE ALL GOING!” Reinhardt boomed, grabbing McCree in one arm, and Morrison in another in a smothering hug. 

Morrison was speechless for a moment, then started grumbling something about insubordination. McCree looked around at his team in gratitude. 

“We leave tomorrow morning at 0700,” Morrison barked, like he had never been against the idea at all. He turned to Jesse. 

“Where do you wanna start?”

“Might as well be Paris.”

\--- 

The next morning, the guilt hit. Morrison was right. It was a wild goose chase. His team was only going along with it for his sake.

 

He approached the man to apologize, but Jack already knew what he was going to say. 

“We’re going. That’s final.” 

“Look—“

“If Talon is doing what we think, we can’t let them succeed. Not twice,” Morrison was loading gun cartridges and didn’t even look up. “What they did to Gerard, to Amelie—that can never happen again. We have to tear it down every time they try.”

McCree wasn’t sure how to reply. He waited instead, as it seemed like the old soldier wasn’t yet finished. He was right. 

“The last time we ran Overwatch, we did it by the books,” Morrison continued. He began to load biotic fields into his pack. “And Fareeha ended up growing up without a mother, and Gabe—“ 

Jack froze here. McCree knew that there was no easy way for Morrison to finish that sentence. 

“Overwatch broke because we were all broken by the end. We promised ourselves that if we were going do this again, we’re going to have to take care of each other better.”

Jesse wanted to thank the man, to agree with all that he said. He wanted to say something—anything reassuring about Gabriel Reyes, but found that there was nothing that could be said. 

“…This yer way of tellin’ me I was right earlier an’ you were wrong?” McCree drawled instead, a bit awkwardly. 

“Fuck you, McCree. Don’t you have packing to do?” Jack growled. There was no bite behind the words.

Jesse tipped his hat and headed for the door. He stopped right as he reached it. 

“Thank you.”

Just before he was out of earshot, he heard the response. 

“You’re welcome.”

\---

Everything was loaded an hour later. McCree took his spot on the jet by the window.

Ana sat down beside him after takeoff, and spoke first. “He must be quite the man.”

McCree looked up in surprise. 

“To have made such an impression on you so quickly,” She grasped his hand. “Tell me about him.”

Her kind smile was all it took. He told her how they met. He told her about his prickliness, his unwavering sense of duty, his unquestioning and instant care. He tried to describe the sensation of the spirit dragons, and how he knew they mirrored Hanzo’s feelings, even though they never spoke a word. He even told her about the dreams. 

“So they always reach out to you?” she mused thoughtfully. 

“Yes.”

“Do you think…that connection might work the other way?”

Their eyes met. McCree managed a grin for the first time in days. 

“Load up that sleep dart, partner.”

\--- 

The dream once again started instantly. McCree could sense a slight confusion in the dragons this time. Still, they dutifully wrapped around his consciousness, greeting him with a comforting softness. 

“Look. Can you understand me?”

The light hesitated, and feeling of confusion grew. It seemed to answer in the affirmative. 

“I’m closer now, ain’t I?”

The answer was again affirmative. McCree realized this was why they may have felt disoriented. 

“I need to know how far. I need to know how to get to you. While I’m awake.”

A sudden disturbance resonated through the air. The light pulled back.

“Why not?” McCree ground out, irritated. 

The light surged forward once again wrapped around him, warmly, protectively. 

“Protect…goddammit Hanzo you stubborn sonuva bitch,” McCree growled. The man was forbidding the dragons from disclosing his location to keep the gunslinger safe. 

The light seemed to agree. 

“Please…I need to find you. To find him”. 

The light gently intensified next to McCree’s face, somehow melancholy.

He tried again. 

“He would do anything for me.”

Affirmative. 

“He wants to keep me safe.”

Affirmative again.

“You can look inside me too, can’t you?”

The dragons did not understand the question.

“You know. That I feel the same way. And that I will tear this entire country apart trying to find him, and I won’t stop ‘til I do.”

The light intensified again, hesitating. McCree didn’t realize there were tears in his eyes until the light tried to brush them away with its warmth. He closed his eyes and focused on every moment that he had shared with Hanzo, on the pure joy he had felt, and the heartbreak that remained. The bluish glow wrapped around these feelings, weaving through them.

The two dragons seemed to be in conversation. McCree opened his eyes. 

They had decided. 

McCree grinned. 

“Knew you’d see it my way.”

\--- 

He woke up again with a gasp to find Ana and Lena peering at him with interest. 

“Well, howdy.”

“Well?” Lena pressed. 

McCree looked out the window and closed his eyes. “Not Paris. S’too far north. Stay on course though. It feels like we’re goin’ in the right direction.”

Lena’s face lit up. She did a mock salute. “You got it!” 

In a blink, she was back in the pilot’s chair, and had turned off the auto-pilot. 

Ana took Jesse’s hand again and held it firmly. McCree gave a huge sigh of relief. 

\---

They ended up landing just outside of Lourdes, cloaking the jet when as they drew near. 

“Winston is reporting that there has been an odd amount of seismic activity close to the foot of the mountains in the past few months. Not earthquakes, likely man made,” Morrison said, eyes glued to the laptop. “Might have been them blasting to create an underground base.”

“That’s where we’re goin’ then,” McCree tried to sound like his usual confident self, swallowing back the fear of what they might find. 

“Can’t imagine they’ve gotten too far in building, given the short time they’ve had,” Lena mused.

“Listen up, people. This is a simple mission. Extract the objective, destroy the rest,” Morrison commanded. His masked face was trained on Jesse’s. The cowboy nodded, thankful for the reinforcement that order brought. “Any research you find on our objective should be confiscated, as should any biological material.”

McCree winced a bit at the term. 

“I’ve already messaged Angela. She will be waiting for us at Gibraltar to provide medical assistance. Any information that they have on the objective will be helpful to her.”

Everyone was sitting at keen attention. Every once in a while they would throw McCree a reassuring grin. 

“Last thing. Treat the objective like one of our own.”

McCree turned to Morrison in surprise.

“His safety is paramount. Just like the safety of your teammates.” 

These words received a murmur of excited agreement. 

“After all, it’s not every day that Jesse McCree falls in love,” Morrison continued, smirk in his voice. 

Laugher rippled throughout the plane. McCree’s ears turned red. 

“Now hold on—“ he protested. 

“—and I’m getting tired of watching him walk around base like a kicked puppy.”

McCree snorted. Somehow, this made him feel better as well. Reinhardt gave him a hard punch on the prosthetic (luckily) arm. 

“Let’s wait for infrared imaging. We’ll aim to move out at 06:00.”

\--- 

“Alpha team, in position. Over.”

“Copy. Beta team, in position. Over.”

“Copy. Gamma, in position. Over.”

“Copy that. Lonestar, in position. Over.”

“This is the last time you get to choose your own handle, McCree,” Morrison growled. 

“Yer jus’ jealous cause you have no imagination,” McCree retorted. “Over.”

“No imagination?! Your name is ‘Lonestar’, you’re dressed like you stepped out of a spaghetti western and *I’m* the one with no—“ 

“Morrison. Stop clogging the com channel. Over,” Ana scolded. 

Jack made sure to press the “transmit” button so that everyone could hear his long, disgruntled sigh. 

“Targets approaching!” Tracer whispered. 

“Roger. Upon contact, you’ll have 15 minutes, Lonestar. Make them count, over,” Morrison turned serious immediately. 

“Wilco, over,” McCree answered. 

“Good luck!” Lena squealed. “Alpha team, deploying…now!”

There was a large explosion from a distance, set off by one of Tracer’s pulse bombs. An alarm sounded, and the set of metal doors to the side of the underground compound opened. 

Jesse threw a flashbang at the three Talon agents that emerged, and had a shot for each of them. He swiftly ducked into the tunnel that had been opened, hoping that Tracer and Reinhardt’s distraction would draw enough of them away. 

“Where are you, darlin’?” he murmured. He closed his eyes, reaching out. He could feel a familiar warmth tugging at his chest.

Opening his eyes, he took a corridor to the left. Then the second to the right. Then another left. 

One of the doors in this hallway seemed to be humming with energy, drawing him closer. 

“Gotcha,” McCree was triumphant. 

10 minutes left. He tried hacking the door code, but gave up quickly, that not being his specialty. He fired straight into it instead with Peacekeeper, luckily causing the metal doors to open. 

The lights were off in the new room. There was a faint, slow beeping sound, like a heart monitor. McCree found the screen for this soon after, and swiftly made his way to it. 

He gasped as he reached the metal gurney and its patient. 

Even in the dim light, Jesse could see that the dragon was in bad shape. He was struggling to take shallow breaths, each one causing a shudder of pain to course through his body. His skin was no longer skin, but pale grey scale, chipped and bruised. It appeared that he was trapped between forms, perhaps not having the strength to maintain his human appearance. Jesse’s blue ribbon was still in his hair. McCree oddly took a bit of solace in this. 

“Hanzo,” McCree whispered gently, using his human hand to brush the side of the dragon’s face. He drew back, breath stuck in his throat, as several scales came off on his fingers. Hanzo tensed, the furrow on his brow increasing. A moment later, his face relaxed slightly, and he leaned into the cowboy’s touch.  
McCree undid the heavy metal restraints that were holding the man down, and unplugged everything that was attached to him. He wrapped him in his serape, and tried to put him across his shoulders as gently as he could. 

“Lonestar here. Objective’s secure. Moving out.” 

“Halt!” The lights turned on all of a sudden, and three armed Talon agents rushed through the door. 

McCree ducked behind the metal gurney, covering Hanzo’s body with his own. A few shots grazed his shoulders. 

At that moment, a yellow grenade struck the ground right next to him. He could feel the wounds closing instantly. 

There was a gasp and one of the agents fell to a rifle shot. 

“It’s just a scratch. You’ll be fine,” Ana’s voice came over the communicator. 

“Much obliged,” McCree answered. Coming from behind cover, he landed two shots of his own, and rushed the door as quickly and as carefully as he could, with Hanzo still over his shoulder. He turned back the way he came to find the door of the cave blocked by more agents. 

“Tactical visor activated,” Morrison confirmed over the mic. The agents fell one by one before they could react, screams choked at their throats. Jesse emerged from the cave to find Soldier 76 behind the agent bodies, wiping off his rifle. 

“Y’do love the smell of pulse munitions in the mornin’, don’tcha?” McCree laughed. 

“Damn straight,” Morrison grunted in reply. He raised a hand to his com. “Objective secure. Move out!”

“Wilco!” Lena confirmed. McCree could hear Reinhardt’s laughter in the background and the sound of his hammer making contact, “IS THAT ALL?”

The entire team made it back to the jet at around the same time, like clockwork. 

“Set off the fireworks, Lena,” Morrison commanded.

“Roger that!” Lena took out a detonator and pushed the large red button. The Talon operatives shouted as the bombs placed at the perimeter and throughout their base exploded in sync.

“Gotta remember t’thank Fawkes for those,” Lena chirped, getting ready for takeoff. 

McCree carefully lowered Hanzo onto a stretcher with Reinhardt’s help. 

“Ana. Our secondary objective?” Morrison inquired. 

Ana opened her pack to reveal a laptop, a bunch of lose papers, and a small cooler full of what was presumably blood. “Everything else has been destroyed.”

“Excellent. Good work, everyone,” Morrison sounded pleased. “Let’s go home.”

\--- 

Mercy and Winston met them at the landing pad. She had already prepared a sturdier stretcher and was carrying her emergency medical kit. 

Jesse carefully helped to transfer Hanzo to this new surface. He followed Mercy and Winston as they guided the stretcher swiftly to the medical lab. Ana fell in step beside Mercy, briefing her on the information from Talon’s files that she had read on the flight over. McCree noticed that her voice was intentionally lowered so that he could not hear. His heart fell slightly. 

They arrived at the lab. 

“Jesse--” Mercy started kindly.

“I know, I know, outside,” McCree grabbed at his Stetson and sighed. “But you’ll let me know—“ 

“The second there is any change,” Mercy confirmed with confidence. “Trust me,” she added more gently, putting a hand onto his. 

McCree nodded and swallowed hard. He hadn’t noticed that his hand was grasping Hanzo’s tightly until he tried to let go. He realized then too that the man had been grasping at his hand as well. Shaking free, he turned around. 

“Be in the kitchen if ya need me.”

\--- 

The team was sitting silently around the dining table. McCree had hoped that preparing lunch and eating would have made him feel better, but found he had no appetite. 

“You’ve got to eat something, love,” Lena coaxed. 

McCree smiled tiredly, and took a few bites of his sandwich.

Mercy entered, and everyone turned their attention to the doctor. 

She walked directly to McCree. “To be honest…I’m having a bit of trouble. His physiology is like nothing I’ve ever seen.”

He nodded, eyes lowered. 

“Ana mentioned that you could communicate with his spirit creatures? Do you think they might be able to help us?”

“They’re not much for talkin’. Wouldn’t be able to explain anything that complicated,” McCree answered, defeated. 

“Hmm.”

Everyone turned at Winston’s thoughtful hum. 

“Well, haha, it’s just that the myth. It mentions a family of dragons, not just one.”

McCree sat up straighter. 

“Would the townspeople know how to contact these other dragons?” Ana asked. 

“I’m not sure they could have even contacted Hanzo if they tried,” McCree admitted. 

“What about the blue dragons?” Lena pressed. McCree’s eyes flickered up. Ana was already loading her sleep dart. 

\---

Hours later, McCree was pacing anxiously in the medical lab, trying his best to keep out of Mercy’s way. The doctor had realized that any attempt to keep him away was fruitless. 

“Can I help?” McCree offered. 

“Just stay still,” she laughed lightly. He nodded, and took his place beside the bed instead, grabbing Hanzo’s hand. Mercy watched this and smiled. “See? That’s better.”

She continued to read through the Talon reports. 

“What’d they do to him?” 

Mercy hesitated. 

“I’d rather know than not.”

Angela sighed. “I suppose it would be better coming from me. Extensive blood and tissue testing for the first few days. They tried to induce his dragon form through chemicals and torture next. Then attempts at reconditioning that continued for the rest of the week, which fortunately seem to have failed. He is suffering from severe brain trauma as well as organ failure.”

McCree could feel the world swimming around him. 

She looked up at him sadly. “I can’t tell though why his condition is continuing to deteriorate. I only know that it is. I’m sorry, Jesse.”

She put a hand on his shoulder. “Is there still no word from the dragons?”

After Jesse awoke, the tattoo on Hanzo’s arm had burned a bright blue. The spirit dragons had entwined and left through the ceiling of the lab together, but that was hours ago.  
“It was a long shot. I mean, we don’t even know if he has any fam—“ McCree stopped mid-sentence, ears perked. “Get back, Mercy, there’s someone—“ 

“Ryūjin no ken o kurae!!” The voice sounded more beastly than human. A bright green light streaked downward from the ceiling, bursting through the glass. The flash went directly for Mercy first , causing the doctor to fall back from the bed with a cry. 

McCree reflexively threw a flashbang, but it was dodged with ease, as the figure swept upward in the air. The green blur of light did not miss its own target, slashing back down with superhuman force. Jesse grunted, blocking the blade with his prosthetic arm just in time. 

“Now, hold on—“ 

He was face to face with a ninja dressed in dark green. The only thing standing between him and a very sharp sword was his metal arm. The other man’s glowing green eyes were consumed with fury.

“Easy—“ 

The ninja did a backwards jump kick to propel himself off of McCree, landing a hard blow to the gunslinger’s stomach. He rushed again with his electric green sword, and would have connected, had the bright blue glow not rushed in just a second earlier, surrounding McCree with its familiar light. 

The intruder halted, breathing heavily. 

“Yer his family?” McCree was also out of breath, the kick having knocked the wind out of him. 

The ninja’s eyes narrowed. He seemed to be paying more attention to the light than to Jesse.

“We’re tryin’ to help Hanzo, but we need yer help,” McCree stood up fully. “Name’s McCree.”

The blue light dimmed, retreating back to Hanzo’s arm. 

Genji stood down, approaching the gunslinger with caution. 

“My brother’s spirit dragons. They say that *you* sent them?” He sounded incredulous.

“Brother. That makes sense. Yes, I did,” McCree nodded. 

Genji’s frown deepened. “But only a Shimada can…oh.”

He took a deep breath, leaning into the other man, almost as though he were trying to smell him better. 

“It’s you,” he said with realization, peering at the other man now more with wonder than with hostility. 

“Beg pardon?” McCree looked confused. 

“You were the one in our cave,” Genji circled Jesse, trying to process the information. 

“I’m ‘fraid I don’t understand.” 

Genji’s shoulders started shaking. McCree moved a bit closer, alarmed. Upon closer inspection, however, it appeared that the young man was laughing. 

“What’s so funny?” McCree asked with annoyance. 

“Nothing. Another time, after my brother has healed.”

“So you can help him?” Jesse asked with hope. 

Genji sobered, walking closer to Hanzo’s bed to examine him. Mercy had recovered, her suit having healed her wounds. She looked a bit offended by the attack, but said nothing. 

“Aniki,” Genji murmured softly. He placed a hand on Hanzo’s chest. It glowed green for a moment, and his brother’s chest glowed blue in response. He turned angrily to face McCree, eyes flashing again. 

“The men who did this?”

“They paid the price. Some of them, anyway,” McCree’s face also darkened. The younger dragon nodded, some of the tension slipping from his shoulders. 

The door to the lab burst open with a bang, and Morrison and Lena rushed in, with Reinhardt close behind. Genji’s hand flew to his blade again. 

“Everyone calm down!” McCree raised his hands. 

“The sensors indicated an intruder,” Morrison growled, rifle aimed at the unfamiliar man. 

“Team. This here is Hanzo’s brother—“ McCree paused, realizing he didn’t actually know the ninja’s name. 

“Genji,” The younger dragon’s hand did not move from his blade. 

“Genji, this is my team. They helped me save your brother. I wouldn’t have survived the week myself without ‘em either, to be honest,” Jesse admitted. Lena cooed, and Reinhardt looked like he was about to cry.

Weapons were lowered. Ana dropped from the rafters. Genji flinched, then looked embarrassed that he’d not sensed her earlier. She nodded to him, pulling up the nozzle of her rifle. He bowed slightly. 

“So you were sayin’?” McCree prompted again.

“My brother is in a deep meditative state. He has separated his consciousness from the rest of his body.”

“These bad men…they were tryin’ to brainwash him,” McCree’s voice hitched towards the end of that sentence. 

Genji’s eyes began to burn green again. “Then he likely did this in defense.”

“Can you bring him outta it?”

“I’m…not sure. To be honest, I thought it was just a theoretical state of mind. I’ve never seen anyone actually take it.” Genji rubbed the back of his head. “The mind and body cannot be separated for long. One cannot survive without the other.”

“He has also suffered severe psychological and physical trauma aside as well,” Mercy cut in. “I doubt that will make it easier to convince him that he is now safe.”  
Genji began to pace. “There is also the problem—“ He hesitated. 

“What?” Jesse pressed. 

“If what you say of his experience is true, then he also may have gone back to…the more basic instincts of our race,” Genji looked to the ground. 

“What do you mean?” Mercy asked. 

“We have human-like consciousness, but we are…dragons at heart,” Genji struggled with the explanation. “If he were put in extreme danger and pain, his return to his human consciousness might not be immediate.”

Lena perked. “Like Winston!” she offered.

“Winston?” Genji tilted his head. On cue, the scientist entered. 

“Did I miss anything?” 

Genji gawked. 

“Don’t look so surprised. You nearly turned full dragon on me just a minute ago,” McCree pointed out. 

Genji regained his composure and bowed in apology towards Winston. 

“Winston!” Lena blinked over. “When you’re angry, like, really, really angry, how do you calm yourself down?”

“Hm? Oh well, uh…this is an…embarrassing topic…” he laughed nervously. 

“No one’s judging you, big guy,” Lena put a hand on his arm. “We just think it might be able to help McCree’s mate. Um. ‘Mate’ as in friend,” Lena added in response to McCree’s sharp look.

Ana snorted. Genji smirked. 

“Well, in that case. I start thinking right away about those closest to me. I think about the ones that I love the most, and the times that we’ve shared, and then you all become my anchor. What’s wrong? Was it something I said?” 

He looked up to find his entire team gaping at him. Reinhardt was definitely crying now. 

Lena launched herself at Winston’s chest for a hug. 

“Oh…uh…thank you.”

Genji walked towards McCree again, regarding him again closely. The sudden scrutiny caused McCree’s ears to burn. 

“You might be able to do it,” Genji said finally. 

“What?”

“You might be able to bring him back. His spirit dragons already respond to your presence. You could have them communicate that it is now safe.”

“That seems more like a somethin’ for a brother to do, doesn’t it?” McCree hesitated. 

Genji shook his head. “I am convinced it will work better if you try. After all, his dragons have never taken my side over his before. They tell me that you persuaded them to lead you to his location against his wishes?” Amusement once again entered the younger dragon’s voice. 

“Alright, I’ll give it a go,” Jesse relented. 

“We might need you immediately though, if what Genji says is true, and Hanzo does not remember himself. Do you think you could make contact while awake?” Ana asked.

“That should be possible,” Genji nodded.

“We should restrain him, just in case,” Morrison said bluntly. 

“No. That’ll just spook him more,” Jesse argued. “It’s probably best ‘all get outta here, just in case things go sideways.”

“But what if things go sideways?” Lena was worried. 

They sorted out positioning after some argument. Ana and Mercy stood ready in the rafters, and Lena stayed hidden, ready to blink if necessary. Genji stood at a distance. Everyone else waited outside.

“So…”

“Put your hand on his chest, as I did before. Call to them.”

“Well that’s awfully vague,” McCree muttered to himself. Taking a deep breath, he complied. 

After a few moments, the blue glow returned to the dragon’s chest, and wrapped itself around McCree’s arm. 

Genji took off his face covering to get a better look. Never before had he seen spirit dragons react to someone outside of their family in this way.

“Hey there,” the cowboy murmured.

The spirits seemed happy to see him. They wound up his arm and around his body.

“I need another favour from y’all, if you don’t mind. It won’t be easy. You know how hard it is to change the mind of that stubborn master of yours,” McCree closed his eyes, trying to express himself without words. The glow continued to encircle his body slowly. It took another flourish around McCree’s torso and returned to set Hanzo’s tattoo on fire. 

The furrow on Hanzo’s brow grew more troubled, and his breathing quickened. 

“Come on, darlin’. Come back to me,” McCree whispered under his breath. 

Hanzo suddenly arched his back and cried out. McCree reached instinctively to hold and calm him. Without warning, the dragon’s eyes flew open, glowing blue and furious.  
He threw McCree back with a roar that barely sounded human, stumbling backwards off of the bed himself. 

“Aniki,” Genji approached with alarm, but froze immediately seeing the snarl twisted on his brother’s face. 

“Sleep dart locked and loaded,” Ana’s statement was more of a question.

“No,” McCree was walking towards Hanzo, hands raised. The dragon was shaking badly, but was standing. 

_He’s in pain._

The scales on his skin were puffed outward, and his entire body was pulsating that familiar blue light. McCree thought he was dreaming for a moment, as it seemed as though Hanzo’s hands were becoming more talon-like, and his hair longer and coarser. 

“McCree! You have to calm him down!” Genji’s voice was urgent, panicked. “If he transforms fully in this weakened state…”

“I got ‘im. Darlin’. Look at me.”

If he understood, Hanzo did not acknowledge it. He took a few steps to the side, eyes trained on the cowboy. Jesse’s hands were still in front of him. 

“Easy,” McCree tried again softly. He took off his hat and put it on the floor.

Something flickered in Hanzo’s eyes. McCree tried to identify it, but failed. The dragon curled his lips back to bare his teeth. A growl rumbled in his throat. 

McCree took a step closer, reaching forward and kneeling down. 

Hanzo closed the distance, stumbling forward a bit to do so. He loomed over the gunslinger, talons raised and ready to strike, but something held him back. Jesse cautiously moved to take one of the dragon’s hands in his own, maintaining eye contact the entire time. He brought the hand to his own face, and pressed his cheek into it.

He could hear Hanzo’s breath hitch. The dragon’s other hand fell to his side. Jesse turned his head slightly to kiss Hanzo’s palm, just like he had done that evening, what seemed like ages ago. A shudder ran through the dragon’s entire body. McCree looked up again to meet his eyes. 

“Hey there.”

Recognition and relief spread across Hanzo’s features. His legs collapsed beneath him, and he fell into Jesse’s embrace. The shape of his form seemed to lessen, and his features became more human again. 

The rest of the room breathed a collective sigh. Lena peeked out from her spot behind a cabinet. Ana and Mercy dropped from the ceiling.

McCree could feel the dragon’s body tense instantly, as he raised his head. 

Jesse tried to hush this anxiety, running a hand through the dragon’s hair in reassurance. The shaking did not stop. 

“I should examine him,” Mercy’s voice was quiet but insistent. 

“Negative. He’s still spooked. It’d be best if y’all left. Slowly.”

“He has not fully recovered his senses yet,” Genji protested, taking a step forward. 

“S’alright. This ain’t my first rodeo.”

“Really, Jesse McCree. This is not the first time you’ve had to calm a feral dragon?” Ana sounded unimpressed. Her gun was still scoped.

“I’m doing pretty darn good so far, ain’t I? Just give him some room.”

Ana sighed, lowering her rifle. She looked over at Genji. 

The younger dragon looked at the two of them for a moment before making his decision. Finally, he took a deep breath. 

“Take care of him, cowboy.” 

McCree turned and their eyes met. He nodded.

Genji backed slowly towards the door, and the rest of the agents followed. 

McCree sat for a while longer with the dragon in his arms, whispering reassurances and loving words. The dragon’s head sank down again. 

Hanzo’s shallow breaths became longer, and the trembling lessened. 

McCree repositioned himself to look at down at Hanzo again, drawing soft yowl in protest. He tried to catch the dragon’s attention. 

“Hanzo.”

Hanzo shivered at the sound. 

“Hanzo, darlin’.” 

He twitched again, pressing in closer.

“Talk to me, sweetheart.”

There was a low growl in response that sounded more like a purr. He did not acknowledge that he recognized his own name.

McCree tried with more force. “Hanzo!” 

Glowing blue eyes flickered upwards in annoyance. The familiarity of the glare made something leap upwards in McCree’s throat. 

“Hey there,” Jesse breathed quietly, holding the dragon’s gaze. He moved Hanzo a small distance from himself, and lifted Hanzo’s chin with his finger. Some of the irritation faded from the other man’s scowl. “Do you know who I am?”

Hanzo said nothing. He adverted his eyes and turned his face away.

“Come on darlin’, let’s not play this game again,” McCree complained affectionately. The dragon still did not reply. He sank down again so that his head rested on McCree’s chest.  
McCree sighed. Maybe it was too soon. He resumed stroking the other man’s head. 

“J—“ 

 

“Jesse.” Hanzo’s voice was rough, broken.

McCree took a shuddering breath, and drew Hanzo up to look at him again. The other man winced, and McCree instantly apologized, softening his hold.

Hanzo tried to twist away. 

“Don’t…look—“ 

McCree realized the source of the problem. He pressed a kiss against Hanzo’s forehead. 

“So beautiful,” he nuzzled the side of Hanzo’s face in adoration, and ran his fingers through the inky black hair, drawing the dragon even closer. “I’m so happy you’ve come back to me.” 

Hanzo’s body relaxed, anxiety abated. He purred again, the rumble reverberating against Jesse’s body. 

They sat quietly for a few moments longer. McCree could feel the vibration from Hanzo’s breath intensifying. 

McCree shifted to meet the other man’s gaze again. 

“Darlin’?” he asked inquisitively. 

That same flicker from before danced across Hanzo’s blue eyes. The dragon’s lips curled into a predatory smile. He pulled himself up with some effort. 

“Hungry,” he rasped. 

“I shoulda realized,” McCree was apologetic, and didn’t quite catch on right away. “Let’s get you some…oh.”

_Oh._

Hanzo’s tongue was more pointed, likely because he was still between forms, McCree thought hazily, as said tongue drew itself slowly up his neck and chin. An uncontrolled moan escaped his lips, allowing the dragon to dart this tongue into his mouth, forcing the cowboy’s own into submission. 

McCree wondered for a moment whether he was *actually* going to get devoured, instead of metaphorically so. A few minutes later, after the dragon had clawed away most of his clothing to trail small bites down his chest, he decided he didn’t much care. 

\--- 

Outside, Genji wondered to himself whether he should have mentioned the other minor side effect of their dragon consciousness. Judging by the crashes and the surprised yell he just heard, the cowboy had figured it out just fine. He smirked. 

“Um…Genji,” Lena began. She shuffled her feet. 

“Hn?” 

“Can um…you tell how they’re doing in there?”

There was a loud snarl, another crash, then a long moan. Tracer’s cheeks flushed bright pink. 

“Oh.”

Genji snorted. “I could use some food.”

“Yes. Food. Let’s.”

The Overwatch agents exchanged meaningful looks and fled for the dining area.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut arrives. I mean, conclusion arrives. Genji is a good bro, Overwatch family continues to be best family, Jesse faces more of Hanzo's insecurities, does more dragon wrangling. All's well that ends well, as promised!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew. Thank you so much for reading my first fic in years, and for your encouragement! I am so glad that so many of you enjoyed it! <3 
> 
> Few extra warnings: rating has been upped again for smut. This is my first attempt in writing it, so I apologize in advance. I also apologize as there are still a few scales and talons involved (it just seemed more appropriate to the narrative), and as there seem to be a few convenient leaps in characterization (although I stand by Hanzo's super-human healing *cough*)
> 
> Thank you so much once again! <3 <3 <3

“Now hold on, darlin’, I’m not sure that you’re ungh—“ McCree’s protests were swallowed again as Hanzo leapt upwards to capture his lips in another demanding kiss. The sharp talons were running gently through Jesse’s hair, and less gently along his back.

_Aw hell._

McCree tried to stand up, which allowed Hanzo to throw himself at the cowboy, pushing him back. They crashed against a medical cart. Hanzo purred in triumph, full weight now on the gunslinger. Jesse realized that while the archer was not at full strength, he was very skilled at using his opponent’s strength and body in his own favour. Hanzo adjusted his legs so that they straddled McCree’s torso, and slammed their lips together again with his body weight. Jesse moaned as the kiss worked its way down, and attached firmly to his neck. He didn’t realize he was thrusting wantonly against Hanzo’s body until Hanzo made a stop to it without intention by clawing impatiently at his belt. 

“Han—“ McCree interrupted himself with a long moan as the dragon bit down hard where Jesse’s neck met his shoulder, drawing blood. Jesse could feel the teeth puncturing his skin as more sharp kisses made their way down his chest, each one striking a nerve and shooting through his entire body like electricity. In the end, he undid the belt buckle himself. 

Hanzo hummed again at his success, reaching a hand to pull at McCree’s pants. He wrapped the fingers of his other around the cowboy’s very hard, very ready cock, and shuffled down to run his serpentine tongue from the base to the tip. Jesse shuddered, throwing his head back. Hanzo gave a few more long, slow licks before swallowing the entire length of it down deep. 

_Aw hell._

Jesse gave a cry, thrusting upward without thinking, hands grasping at the dragon’s hair as the tongue ran lasciviously along the underside of his cock. The dragon gave another pleased purr, teasing with short, light licks at the tip before taking in the whole length again all of a sudden. It was dizzying, and Jesse wasn’t sure that he could have put a stop to it even if he wanted to.

Without warning, Hanzo worked his way up Jesse’s chest, leaving more sharp kisses on his way, until he found the cowboy’s lips and claimed them again. Hanzo lifted himself up with his knees, still shaking slightly, but more in anticipation than pain, and positioned to impale himself on Jesse’s full erection. 

_Aw *hell*. Okay, this will not do._

McCree could already see the look on Mercy’s face as she examined Hanzo’s very fresh set of injuries. Gathering every last shred of willpower, the gunslinger managed to flip out of the dragon’s grasp so that he was now on top, holding both of Hanzo’s wrists firmly. 

“No,” he fixed the dragon with a solid glare. Hanzo growled and twisted under his hold, but was unable to break free in his weakened state.

“I said, no,” McCree pushed downward on the dragon’s wrists to emphasize the words. Hanzo wilted. Hurt began to enter his eyes. He continued to struggle from McCree’s grasp, now trying to flee. 

“Oh, darlin’, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that way,” Jesse apologized, leaning in to press a kiss to the archer’s lips. He softened his grip a bit. Hanzo stopped fighting. He looked up at the cowboy, annoyed.

Jesse sighed. If this were going to happen (and he himself was very sure that it was going to), then it would have to be carefully done. 

“Come ‘ere,” he coaxed. Kissing the dragon again in reassurance, he stood up and helped him to the bed. Hanzo backed up onto it, pulling McCree towards him by the waist. Jesse shuddered as the claws began to trace the muscles in his back again, but caught himself in time. He took both of Hanzo’s hands in his own, holding them firmly, and gave each knuckle a gentle kiss, trying to reestablish the pace. A sound half of frustration, half of content rumbled in the dragon’s chest. 

“I’d be happy to revisit your way once you’re better,” Jesse chuckled, forehead touching the dragon’s. “But you’re gonna have to trust me for now that this is for the best.”

Hanzo huffed, but allowed himself to be gently pushed back towards the pillow. 

“Let me take care of you for once,” Jesse breathed into the other man’s kiss. The words drew a small tremble that spread through the dragon’s entire body. He nipped gently at the gunslinger’s neck, movements no longer aggressive. That familiar scowl returned. 

_Fine. Your move._

_Whew._

McCree kissed the man’s cheek gently, and jumped off the bed to rifle through Mercy’s cabinet of medical supplies. He found several condoms and a bottle of lube in one of the drawers. 

_Guess I’ll just have to owe ya one, Morrison._

Returning to the bed, he moved to straddle the dragon’s reclining figure, pressing kisses down his neck as they removed the hospital gown together. Hanzo mewled, arching forward into his touch. 

“Gorgeous,” McCree murmured into the silky, scaled skin. He hastily put the condom on himself, not trusting Hanzo’s sharp claws, next reaching for the lube, and applying a generous amount to his fingers. He found a spot right behind the dragon’s ears that caused a swift gasp, and worked at kissing and licking this area of skin while pushing a first finger slow and careful into the dragon. Hanzo tensed at first, but purred in approval, and gradually relaxed, allowing Jesse to massage his opening with a second finger, pushing further in with each roll of the archer’s hips. 

They locked lips again. The kiss was less desperate, but not less passionate. Hanzo was barely able to maintain it between the sounds drawn involuntarily from his body, McCree noticed with satisfaction. He leaned close to whisper everything he had wanted to say to Hanzo these past two weeks, everything he feared he would never be able to say, fingers still scissoring and searching for that one spot. He finds it: Hanzo indicates this with a loud cry, as he arches desperately into Jesse’s touch. McCree added a third finger, and he could tell that it’s almost too much. 

“So good, sweetheart, just hold on fer me,” Jesse murmured, nipping at the dragon’s ear. He pulled his fingers out, earning a disappointed whimper.

McCree poured another generous amount of lube on his hands, rubbing it over his cock. Hanzo watched with the same hunger as before, chest heaving, each breath a reverberating growl. 

“Anxious aren’t w—ow!” McCree had moved closer again only to receive a sharp, impatient bite. “Brat.”

Jesse pressed forward, readying his cock, and pushed slowly but firmly. Hanzo gasped as the tip penetrated, hands grasping at McCree’s shoulders and back. Jesse waited, but this drew another irritated growl, as the dragon arched upward to meet his body. It is McCree this time who gasps, surprised by the sudden tightness and warmth wrapped around his cock. He tried to enforce a slow, constant rhythm, but could barely hold himself steady. It didn’t help that the archer had very different ideas about speed. 

“So tight, darlin’...so good, Hanzo—ungh!” he moaned, as all of a sudden, Hanzo pushed sharply upward, sheathing all of Jesse’s sizable prick inside of himself. The dragon hissed in pleasure and pain, grasping at Jesse’s shoulders more tightly. 

“M-more,” he rasped. 

“Just—hold on—“ Jesse managed to gasp, trying once again to slow down. “Don’t wanna hu—“ 

“Erase…take…” 

“What’s that darlin’?” Jesse used this moment to calm himself. 

Hanzo reached up to place a hand to Jesse’s face, so that their gazes locked. His eyes were hooded with desire. 

“What they did…hurt…erase...it.”

Jesse managed to piece together what Hanzo meant, and was undone, the pain and anguish from the past week rising fresh again in his mind. The next snarl was his, and he pushed a deep kiss against the other man’s lips, thrusting his body with the same strength. Hanzo gave a pitched wail, as Jesse found just the right spot, and slammed into it hard. 

“They had no right,” McCree whispered fiercely, voice ragged with a possessiveness he himself didn’t know he had. “No right to touch you. You’re mine.”

The dragon cried out again in response to the hard thrust that punctuated Jesse’s last words. He wrapped his legs around McCree’s body in encouragement, chin tilting upwards as he desperately pushed himself upwards to be closer, to wrap around Jesse even more deeply. 

“Beautiful. Let me hear all of it—fuck--Hanzo!” Jesse grunted. 

Hanzo’s scream was rough, and seemed to stick half in his throat as he continued writhe beneath Jesse’s body. His hard cock glistened between them, on the brink even without being touched. 

“Jesse…” he begged. 

Jesse leaned in, understanding completely, tilting his lover’s head forward so that their eyes met again, still unrelenting in his pace. “I’ve got you,” he gasped into another kiss. It’s all Hanzo can take. With another cry, raspy and tinged with something not entirely human, he arched his back into Jesse’s body, shuddering and twitching as he came all over his abdomen. Jesse was not far behind, clutching at Hanzo’s back, which was flexing and convulsing beneath him. He collapsed beside Hanzo on the bed for a moment, both of them heaving hard. Pressing a kiss to the dragon’s shoulder, McCree stumbled off the bed towards the washroom, and returned with damp towels. He carefully cleaned the other man, hindered frequently by the dragon’s grasping hands and adoring kisses. He haphazardly threw the towel into the sink afterwards. 

Returning to bed, and into Hanzo’s embrace, he tucked the other man safely into arms. Hanzo purred in approval, nuzzling just under the gunslinger’s chin. 

“What must I’ve done in my past life?” He could feel Hanzo’s head turn upwards at his words. “What could I’ve possibly been to deserve someone as perfect as you?”

This earned another pleased rumbling sound. The dragon pressed in closer. Jesse gave a contented sigh. 

…Until he realized that Hanzo was pushing towards him a bit too aggressively to want a snuggle. 

“Wait…what—no, darlin’, you’re killin’ me—“

\---

Jesse awoke the next morning feeling sore in places he never knew could feel sore. 

Groaning in effort, he tried to turn his body, but found that he was pinned in place by Hanzo’s sleeping form. He gave in (like he did for most of last night, actually) with a happy sigh and relaxed into the embrace instead. 

The other man twitched suddenly under his touch, but fell limp again as Jesse ran his hand along his spine. 

A few more moments later, McCree realized he had to report to the rest of his team before they came bursting in, guns loaded, expecting the worst. He tried his best not to move Hanzo, but the other man grasped at him, worry lining his forehead. 

Jesse sighed, stuck. Spotting his serape almost within arm’s reach, he pulled free just enough to grab it from the ground. He wrapped Hanzo securely in it, which seemed to placate the still-sleeping dragon enough for him to make his escape. 

McCree next realized that most of his clothes aside from the red serape were in shreds, blood-stained. Grimacing, he managed to find a clean hospital gown, and hoped that no one would see him as he snuck down the halls to his room. He turned around to take another look at Hanzo on his way out to find the man snuggled deep in the folds of his serape, and smiled, blowing him a kiss on his way out.

By some stroke of luck, he was able to make it to his quarters without being seen. 

\--- 

He entered the mess hall after dressing to find the entire team there, with Genji, looking up at him expectantly. Despite his attempts to clean himself up, McCree realized he must have still looked a mess.

“Shit, son,” Morrison commented, taking a bite of his toast. His visor was off and he looked a bit impressed.

“So um…how was he--*is* how *is* he?” Lena quickly corrected herself. 

Winston choked on his peanut butter. Genji held his tea in front of his face, trying and failing to hide his laughter. 

“He’s fine,” McCree could feel his face burning. 

There was another loud silence. 

“Look, if y’all got somethin’ to say, y’might as well get it out now,” McCree braced himself. 

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about. It’s not like you were loud enough that we heard it from three rooms away,” Ana sipped her tea like a boss. 

“And like, *all night*,” Lena agreed. 

“Hope you found the condoms I store in the third drawer from the left,” Morrison added casually. 

“I don’t find any of this funny. Jesse, he was still suffering from severe traum—Jack!” It was Mercy’s turn to flush bright red as she processed the soldier’s words. 

Reinhardt just laughed loudly and gave McCree a hearty slap on the back. 

\---

It was a few more hours before Mercy announced that Hanzo was clearly on the mend, and it was Genji who was admitted as the first guest after the older dragon awoke.  
McCree watched from the door as the ninja approached with caution, speaking in quick, soft Japanese. 

Hanzo tilted his head at first, face straining with concern. 

“Brother,” he managed to rasp just as Genji reached his bedside. Genji leaped into his older brother’s arms with a sob upon hearing the greeting, babbling in a language McCree could not understand. He did notice that Hanzo had wrapped his arms protectively around the younger man.

“Let’s give them some time, shall we?” Mercy asked gently. 

McCree nodded, and the two of them exited for the hall. 

A while later, Genji appeared in the hallway as well, composure regained. 

“Cowboy.” 

McCree turned to face the ninja. The younger dragon had been good humoured during the team’s jabs at the gunslinger’s expense earlier, but had said nothing of his own the entire time. Jesse held his breath. 

“…thank you.” 

Jesse relaxed. “Ain’t nothing to thank me for.”

“My brother does not give his trust easily. At the same time, he has given himself over to others for so long, I was worried he would never be able to find happiness himself. Thank you for taking care of him. For showing him that he deserves to be loved.” 

Jesse rubbed at his neck awkwardly, not knowing what to say. “Shucks, Genji—“

Genji leaned in and placed a hand on Jesse’s shoulder. He spoke softer, directly into the gunslinger’s ear. “But if you ever hurt him, I will cut your dick off one inch at a time.”

McCree paled and swallowed hard. 

Genji left without another word, not looking back, smirking with satisfaction to himself.

\---

Hanzo continued to improve. McCree and Genji would visit every day, sometimes together. Jesse was torn: relieved that Hanzo was so quickly on the mend, but dreading the consequence it would bring. 

Soldier 76 called a meeting a few days later, confirming his fears. 

“I see no further reason to keep him under our supervision,” Mercy concluded her report, shooting the gunslinger a sad smile. “He seems eager to return home.”

Jesse himself knew this to be true. Hanzo had been discharged into his care a few days after waking. In his spare moments, whenever McCree was busy, the dragon could be found sitting on the highest cliff above the base, staring absently towards the sea. The dragon had continued being openly affectionate at first, his feelings already known to Jesse. While they still spent most of their free time together, however, the more Hanzo regained his human senses, the more distant he became towards McCree, as if he were bracing himself for his inevitable departure. 

“I’ve asked the Shimadas to join us. We’re always on the lookout for good soldiers,” Morrison’s visor was pointed downwards at the stack of papers in front of him. McCree already knew their answer before being told. Genji had agreed immediately, eager for adventure and for revenge against Talon. “Hanzo has declined. Genji is working on him.”  
There was an odd silence. Jesse looked up to find the entire table looking at him. 

“Maybe he’s just not been asked by the right person yet, love,” Lena urged. 

“Man’s gotta right to make his own decision,” McCree was trying to convince himself. 

Morrison snorted. “Well, when you change your mind, tell him that we’re going to set up a satellite base by Hanamura regardless. We’ve sorely needed a new foothold in East Asia.”  
“We’d need a seasoned agent to oversee the base, of course,” Ana added. 

“Of course,” Jack confirmed.

They waited.

“Alright, alright!” McCree threw his hands up, and stood, earning smiles from all around the table. 

“He’s on the cliffs!” Lena chirped helpfully. McCree waved his hand nonchalantly on his way out, not looking back, but warmed by his team’s encouragement. 

\--- 

Hanzo was indeed sitting at his usual place overlooking the sea. His brother was standing beside him, gesturing wildly, and speaking rapidly in Japanese. 

McCree stopped a distance away, not wanting to interrupt. 

“You are impossible!” Genji shouted in English, storming off. Hanzo did not move. 

The ninja paused as he reached McCree.

“It seems like you’re the only one who is able to convince that jerk of anything.” It was more of a pleading request than a statement.

“Do my best,” Jesse promised. 

Genji nodded, and disappeared completely with two graceful jumps. 

McCree approached Hanzo with caution. 

“Howdy.”

“Don’t.” Hanzo didn’t turn around. 

“Don’t what, darlin’?”

“Don’t start. I cannot stay.”

“Ain’t no one asking you to stay here. Morrison said we’re setting up base by Hanamura, to help protect it against Talon.”

“I can’t.”

“Can’t what, exactly?” McCree’s voice grew more tense. 

Hanzo stood without turning. “I cannot stay…”

“I already said—“ 

“I cannot stay with you,” Hanzo finished. He turned. The pain in the dragon’s eyes was difficult for Jesse to bear.

“If you’re gonna—“ 

“We cannot have this conversation. You will ask me questions to which you already have the answer. You know that I love you. You know that leaving will tear me apart. I have been too indulgent in our time together here, in allowing myself to be with you,” Hanzo’s voice was almost too steady, as if he were forcing it to remain even. “Genji is right. You are the only one who has ever convinced me to change my mind. So we cannot have this conversation. I am sorry.”

Hanzo had started to glow even before he had finished speaking. 

“Why not? At least tell me that!” McCree’s voice was growing louder, more panicked. 

“Because you deserve better than a monster.” The blue light intensified so much that Jesse had to shield his eyes. When he was able to focus again, Hanzo was gone, and a large dragon with royal blue scales and a yellow mane was staring back at him. He could recognize the same sad longing in its yellow eyes that had haunted Hanzo’s gaze just moments before.

McCree wasn’t daunted. “I don’t see a monster. I only see a stubborn sonuva bitch too scared to stay with me, but too damn proud to admit it”. 

The dragon turned without responding. Arching his long back, he started to gallop towards the edge of the cliff. Instead of falling, his body twisted in the air, upwards. The sunlight rippled off the blue scales the dragon moved, flew—danced towards the sea. 

Jesse grit his teeth. He took off his hat and dropped it to the ground. 

_You’re not gettin’ away that easy._

“Hanzo!”

The dragon turned his head just in time to see Jesse take a running jump off the cliff, towards the shallow water and sharp rocks below. Hanzo gave an alarmed screech and bolted back towards him. 

_This is by far the stupidest thing I’ve ever—_

Hanzo caught McCree’s serape in midair with his fangs, and used it to throw the gunslinger upwards.

“Whoa!”

The change in momentum allowed the dragon to position himself under McCree, so that the cowboy landed chest first on the dragon’s back. Jesse scrambled to find something to hold onto, and grasped at the dragon’s mane. 

Hanzo yelped when he pulled a bit too hard. 

“Serves you right,” McCree pulled himself forward to shout this into the dragon’s ear, steadying himself. “Whoa shi—“

Hanzo turned upwards abruptly, soaring high in retaliation. Despite this, Jesse knew that the dragon would never let him fall. He wrapped his arms more securely around the long neck, and hoped that Hanzo would land quickly. He did not. McCree soon found he didn’t mind.

“Whoo-hoo!”

The dragon snorted at the sound. With a final twist, he landed, crouching low so that McCree could reach the ground. 

“Oh no you don’t. I’m not lettin’ go.”

Hanzo huffed. It sounded annoyed. He bucked upward, albeit gently, trying to shake the gunslinger off. 

McCree laughed. “You think this cowboy gear’s just for show, darlin’?”

The dragon must have realized the ridiculousness of the situation, as he stopped, laying down again so that his stomach touched the floor. Despite not being able to see his face, McCree was fairly certain the dragon was scowling. 

“Sweetheart, we can either talk together, or I can talk at you,” He reached forward to scratch behind the dragon’s ear. Hanzo made a rumbling sound that seemed suspiciously like a purr. He stopped himself, but picked up again when Jesse found a different spot and scratched a bit harder. 

“Look. Don’t join Overwatch. I don’t even care.”

The purring stopped again. Hanzo turned his head to try to get a better look at McCree.

“Just stay with me.”

Hanzo let out a breath in frustration. Jesse nuzzled at the dragon’s mane, drawing a softer sound. 

“When they took you—I was a wreck without you sweetheart,” McCree murmured into the dragon’s ear. “Don’t know if my heart could take it a second time.”

Jesse could feel a growing warmth in the dragon’s body, as the blue light returned. He slipped a bit as the bulk beneath him shifted in form, reduced, and became human. 

“I’m still not letting go,” McCree’s arms were still securely around Hanzo’s body. Hanzo’s naked body. 

_“…Oh.”_

“Idiot. We will talk. Cover me up, it’s cold,” Hanzo growled. 

McCree wrapped his serape securely around the dragon’s shoulders, holding it place with his own arms. 

“Anything you want,” he purred.

“Infuriating man,” Hanzo grumbled. “I know.”

“Know what?”

“How you felt. When I was in captivity,” Hanzo shivered, not entirely from the cold. Jesse wrapped his arms tighter. “I sent the dragons, remember. ’I will tear this entire country apart trying to find him, and I won’t stop ‘til I do’?”

“Meant it.”

“I know you did. And you rushed in, exactly as I had feared you would,” Hanzo snapped. “Without regard for your own safety, just like earlier.”

“Wouldn’t have had to jump if you weren’t bein’ so difficult,” McCree protested. 

“You are reckless, careless when I am involved, McCree,” Hanzo struggled to get out of the gunslinger’s embrace, but Jesse refused to let go. The dragon settled for turning to face him, but eyes lowered. He continued more softly, voice vulnerable. “I would not be able to bear it if I lost you, especially not on my account.” 

“Y’mean like when I led Talon directly to you?”

Hanzo did look up now. “We have discussed this. That wasn’t your fault.”

Jesse raised an eyebrow. “So how’d it be different the other way?” He moved Hanzo away from himself a short distance so that he could more properly look at the other man face to face. “You gotta trust, Hanzo. In my ability to take care of myself, and in your ability to take care of me.”

McCree pressed their foreheads together. Hanzo allowed it. 

“Every single day I get to wake up next to you makes my life all the more worth livin’. Risk of losin’ you is a part of that. And it’s a risk I’d gladly take with you, together. If you’re gonna keep holding the world on your shoulders, then I’m gonna hold it with you.” 

Hanzo was trembling, Jesse didn’t need to look down to know. He lifted one of the dragon’s hands to his lips, pressing a kiss to the palm. Hanzo made a small, uneven gasp. 

“Stay with me,” McCree murmured, lifting the hand to his face. 

There was a long pause. Jesse felt the dragon’s breath shake unevenly over and over, counting the seconds. 

\--- 

Hanzo too was counting the seconds with his breath, mind reeling. A gentle breeze wove through his hair freely, as it was not tied up. It felt different from the wind in Hanamura, but he could feel it all the same. 

_Change._

The word had become less of an observation, and more of an imperative, a command. Hanzo inhaled, taking this cold breeze into his very being, and accepted it. 

“I—am finding it difficult to deny you anything when you do that,” Hanzo admitted, the defeat in his voice not altogether unhappy.

The cowboy lifted his chin so their eyes met. Hanzo looked into them searchingly to find they were glassy, filled with an unspoken hope. 

“Stay?” Jesse whispered, almost as if he were afraid if the word. 

“Stay.” Hanzo confirmed. He was barely able to speak it, however, as his lips were captured quickly in a long, searing kiss. 

\--- 

“Kampai!” 

The team raised their beer cans in the air, relishing the new word Genji had taught them. They were sitting beneath a cherry blossom tree in one of the parks in Hanamura, surrounded by other revelers who were doing the same, as twilight fell. Overwatch had been received with great cheer when they returned with Hanzo and Genji (Hanzo had remarked to McCree, affectionately, that while the townspeople were always honoured when he visited, they were absolutely delighted when his brother arrived). 

“Cowboy-san! You did it!” Mayuri had thrown herself into McCree’s arms as soon as they landed with the dragons. 

It looked like she had considered doing the same to Hanzo for a moment, but decided to bow shyly instead. Chiyo arrived shortly after, and Mayuri tried her best to translate her grandmother’s gushing thanks and well-wishing to McCree. 

The team was to scout out an appropriate location for the new base the morning after, but Genji had convinced them to arrive early for the cherry blossom festival, eager to show them his home.

“Could get used to this,” McCree mused, leaning into Hanzo a little so that their shoulders touched. He could sense that the dragon was uncomfortable with displaying affection publically, and stopped himself from throwing his arm over the other man’s shoulder. He was wearing a dark red yukata that Hanzo had helped him purchase immediately after the team had set up in the hotel, insisting that he would not be seen in public with the gunslinger otherwise. Hanzo was dressed in a dark blue cloth that matched McCree’s in tone, Jesse’s royal blue ribbon holding his hair back. 

Hanzo hummed in response. “It suits you?” McCree was surprised to feel Hanzo’s hand reach for his own. Their fingers interlaced. 

“The you-catta?”

“Yukata,” Hanzo corrected with a snort. “Yes, that as well.”

“Well what’d ya mean first?”

Hanzo mumbled something and took a long drink from his beer. 

“Couldn’t hear you, sweetheart,” McCree pressed.

“Being here. With me. It suits you?” Hanzo’s cheeks flushed red and he looked away. McCree thought it was the most beautiful sight against the purple sky and the pink trees. He leaned in to kiss him on the ear. 

“More than anything else in the world,” he whispered in agreement. “You suit me.”

Hanzo flushed even redder. “It suits me as well.” 

They were interrupted by Lena and Genji’s cat calls. 

“Mind yer own business! Ain’t it past your bedtime, kids?” McCree countered. His attention was drawn back to Hanzo as he felt the man’s fingers tighten their grasp. Before he knew what was happening, Hanzo had closed the distance between them and had captured his lips in a lingering kiss. 

More cat calls. 

“I think that I can get used to spring. To change,” Hanzo whispered next to Jesse’s lips. “With you beside me.”

McCree grinned widely. “Then I’ll just have t’always be beside you.” 

They leaned against each other as they rejoined the conversation, trying valiantly to evade the teasing, but grateful to be a part of it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real notes:  
>  **Kampai:** "Cheers!" in Japanese.  
>  **Yukata:** Casual cotton kimono.


End file.
